Dark Angel
by Serena Kenobi
Summary: Sequel to I Am Me. Elena Skywalker, daughter of Darth Vader, is expanding her powers. Her siblings, Luke and Leia, are also adapting to their own abilities and are training in secret. But what if the Emperor finds out about their secret? AU. UPDATE 8/26
1. In a galaxy far, far away

Why HELLO everyone! Yes! Here it is! The sequel! FINALLY! WHEEE HOOO! ALL RIGHT! Eh-hem. Before I get carried away, I have to tell you something very important.

**Something Very Important:** Listen, dudes, I know how much you all enjoy Reviewers Torturing Sith Lords. I do as well. But, I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't make your requests long. This story is focusing on Elena, so please try to make your dialogues short. Thanks!

**Well, isn't it a wonderful day on Coruscant? The sun is shining, speeders zooming, reviewers having a marvelous time here in the Temple..**

**(Xizor walks in) Xizor: Ah... you there! Creature! Lower being! Have you seen Princess Leia? **

**(I blink, staring) Excuse me? (Leia walks in) **

**Xizor: AH! My beautiful Leia! Your hair shines like a thousand suns, your eyes the color of... dirt, your mouth, the shape of a... pear, your perfume... the scent of a bantha! **

**(Leia stares at him) Leia: Excuse me? (Reviewers walk in) **

**Celt: (arm in arm with Luke) Hey guys, it's almost time! **

**Phylitr: For? **

**Adame: Time for the judges to decide what's the next torture for the Sith and Princes! (Everyone claps excitedly and hurry into the court room, where there is a panel of judges. At the center, on the highest podium, the head judge turns the chair to face the reviewers, showing who it is...)**

**Zim: HEY! It's Jedi X-Man Serena Kenobi! **

**(Luke, Leia, Han, and Qui-Gon are the other judges.) **

**Why hello there! **

**Raven: What a big surprise...**

**I know, isn't it? We'll begin in a moment. But now, before we go any further, let's start with the sequel, shall we? COURT IS NOW IN SESSION! (Bangs on table with little hammer)

* * *

I Am Me: I Won't Change For Anyone **

By Serena Kenobi

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or anyone from Princess Diaries 2. I DO own Elena and any other characters I make up. PAY UP NOW, LUCAS!

* * *

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... 

Elena Skywalker, the daughter of Lord Darth Vader, has been living with her father for over four years now, and is growing stronger in the Force. Her triplet brother Luke is also in training, and they meet almost every night, as they have been for the past few years. Because of these Force visions that bring them together across the galaxy, they can communicate and train without being found out. Elena is beginning to worry about the choice she will soon have to make: A Jedi or a Sith.

Darth Vader is taking up his role as a father, and is slightly overprotective of his daughter. It is because of her influence that he is slowly starting to have doubts about the Emperor and his title as a Sith lord, though he is still one.

Elena's best friend, Mara Jade, is beginning to become suspicious of her best friend, getting the feeling that she is hiding something of great importance from her.

One of Elena's other good friends, and her unknown sister, Leia, still keep in contact, but the Princess has no idea of her real heritage. Elena will have to wait until the right moment to tell her.

Now, the Emperor is disliking and fearing Elena more and more, and Elena is starting to feel some pressure, especially from the Imperial courts. She will have to double her guard to survive….

**Three years after the mission on Cato Neimoidia...**

A beautiful seventeen year old Elena Skywalker brushed a bit of her strawberry blonde hair back, eyebrows furrowing. She had grown taller, but was still much shorter than her father and a bit shorter than Luke, who had grown as well. She was slim, had bright, intelligent blue eyes, and a beautiful white smile. Elena had grown, both in knowledge and in height, in the past four years, and was an expert with her lightsabers. Her mutant powers were also becoming easier to control, and they were more powerful, but they were still kept a secret. Elena had changed, and she knew it.

Leia was in constant contact with her, and though Elena had never been to Alderaan yet, she was planning to go as soon as she got the chance. Visiting Luke on Tatooine was also a priority on her list. But now, things were changing for her. She was more involved in politics and the Imperial Palace, and more and more she was disliking the Emperor and his ways of controlling the galaxy. She also realized how many people wished to be in her father's place or have control of the galaxy, such as Prince Xizor, Ysanne Isard, also nicknamed 'Iceheart', Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was a cruel alien with bright red eyes, and many others.

Her father, on the other hand, had started to become more easier to live with. Yes, he still was very much a Sith lord, but Elena had noticed some changes in him. He was more somewhat caring at times, more humorous, and had spent more time with her. The two of them had indeed formed an exceedingly strong Force bond, and Elena could tell that the Emperor didn't like it one single bit.

The Emperor had, in fact, become even more hostile towards her, if that was possible, but Elena didn't care. She had her father, and that was all that mattered. She still continued to hope that she could bring Vader back to the Light Side of the Force, since she had nearly made up her mind not to become a Sith. But there were still times when her stubbornness and recklessness needed to be controlled.

Mara Jade, Beyoncé, and Keira were still her closest friends, other than Leia, and Elena still saw them at school every day. Mara was now a slim, beautiful red-headed young lady, stubborn, fiercely independent, and tough. She was now one of the Emperor's Hands, but deep in her heart, she still did not like the Emperor. Talking with Elena also fueled her dislike of him, but outside it appeared that she worshipped him. She was a close confidant of Elena, and spent numerous amounts of time with her. Vader had nearly become a second father to her, and she turned to him for guidance. This the Emperor didn't like, either.

Beyoncé was a taller, exceedingly gorgeous young lady, sparkling black eyes and wavy lighter brown hair that fell past her shoulders. She was always there to bring humor and light to the situation, and was vital to the group. Everyone loved her, but she wasn't afraid to speak up.

Keira was tall and slim, very beautiful, and sometimes quite thoughtful. She was like her father in the way that they both were quick thinkers, always on their feet, and ready to take orders. Keira was also a very intelligent girl, and knew what to say if any of the others were stumped. She had light brown eyes, chestnut colored hair that went a little ways past her shoulders, and pale pink lips.

All the girls were more involved in court and politic matters, being much older and more experienced, and all of them knew how to fly, and did it very well. The girls were all very close, though Mara and Elena shared a special bond.

Luke was now a much more experienced young man, with sandy blonde hair that fell in a slight curl, sparkling blue eyes, and handsome features. He was now a master at lightsaber dueling and was quick on his feet. He was very bright and also very powerful. He hadn't managed to get off Tatooine yet, but he knew that he would someday. Owen and Beru still had no idea that Luke knew who he was and who his father was. He was sad that he and Elena couldn't tell Leia who she really was, but he and Elena knew that the Force was waiting until the right time to tell her the news. They would have to wait.

"So I was like, dude, there's no way I'm ever going to go out with you, I mean, your father's a total idiot for Force's sake!" Elena said into her comlink. She had Mara on the line at the moment. "I swear, if I see him again…. Uggh!"

"Yeah," Mara replied, "I can't believe he actually had the guts to ask you out. Gerjen Ozzel's a complete jerk. He knows how much Vader hates his dad, and still he wants to take Vader's _daughter _out for a date! Doesn't the guy have a clue? Does he have no brain at all? Your father's SO protective of you! He's been the typical father, guarding you from the boys. It's actually kind of funny."

Elena rolled her eyes. "I bet no one ever expected Lord Vader to be a parent, especially one who's an overprotective father," she answered. "But I don't mind it, I mean, it's cool. I'm glad he's watching out for me."

"Your father definitely has loosened up," Mara agreed, "He's gotten a lot easier to be around. Maybe it's because of your influence."

Elena shrugged. "Maybe, I hope so. Anyways, I gotta run, tons of things to do. Homework, lightsaber practice, pilot training, and then I have to go to the Imperial Palace and watch some boring old politicians debate some stupid matter."

"Sounds like fun," Mara replied dryly.

"Yeah, well, whatever. See you tomorrow at school," Elena answered.

"You too. And try to stay away from Gerjen, I have a feeling he's not gonna let this thing go," Mara warned.

Elena sighed. "Thanks, I'll try. Skywalker out." She shut off her comlink and glanced at Geenine, who was right in front of her, listening in on their conversation. "Well, Geenine," Elena said, getting up from her position on her bed, "Got things to do. I'll see you later."

Geenine beeped a goodbye as she watched Elena leave the room.

Elena strode into the hangar bay, spotted her self-made speederboard, called it to her, and raced out of the bay into the Coruscant sky. She zoomed towards the Imperial Palace, dodging traffic and numerous speeders and starships, only to end up on the front steps of the Palace. She ran up the steps, was allowed admittance, and carefully hid behind a pillar before morphing herself into a regal looking gown with a very elegant hairstyle.

She cleared her throat, straightened out her robes, and entered the Emperor's Throne Room. The Throne Room was a deep-set auditorium like a huge crater dug into bedrock. In the audience decks, there were flat marble benches arranged in long curves, where guests could come to hear any pronouncements from the Emperor himself, or debates and announcements by various politicians and senators. What was distinctive about this chamber was that the audience could hear everything the Emperor or politician said; Palpatine was also able to hear anything said to him from the audience decks.

There were a few movable pods, just like in the senate, reserved for the highest rulers and dignitaries. At the height of the throne room was an angled, prismatic porthole, which allowed rays of light onto the Emperor in his large and luxurious chair.

Elena walked along the long rows of the benches until she came to one of the pods. She entered it and sat down next to her father, who was listening, seeming rather bored, on the conversation. "What'd I miss?" she whispered.

"Nothing," Vader replied dryly. "I was never interested with politics."

Elena smirked. "Then it's a good thing that I am," she answered, "I still don't understand why the Emperor wants you to listen in on these types of things. You don't really need to. All you have to do is–"

"Run them through with my lightsabers, I know," Vader interrupted wryly. "But you can't just go around killing senators for no good reason, the Emperor would be very displeased."

Elena shrugged. "Ah, well, who needs Senators, anyways," she sighed. She turned her attentions to the debate, which included a girl of her own age and a Senator of the Old Republic called Mon Mothma.

The girl, who was named Leonia Tavira, was a sixteen-year old Moff, the youngest Moff ever recorded in history. She had been the mistress of a Moff, and soon after that became his wife. Shortly after, he committed suicide, and she took his place. She was quite pretty, with shoulder length black hair and violet eyes. Elena was curious to see what would happen.

"And so, we should strive to keep the Senate in tacked, for without it, who then will help to decide the fate of the galaxy?" Mon questioned earnestly. Elena decided that she liked her. After all, she _had_ been a very good friend of her mother's.

"But if we have the regional governors control the planets, then we won't need a Senate," Leonia retorted, glaring at Mon. "All we need is the Moffs to help keep the systems in line, and only then will we have a peaceful Empire."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my _entire _life," Elena hissed angrily, blue eyes flashing. "Who does this girl think she is, the Empress herself? She certainly acts like one." Elena thought her a brat.

"What would you have them do?" Vader questioned, mask wheeling to face her. "I am curious to see how you would control the Senate."

Elena frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I would definitely keep the Senate in tacked," she replied, "I would have an equal amount of each of separate parties; wait, first I would have two parties, one for the Empire or something like that, and one for the opposing side. No, hold it, I would have two opposing parties. Then I would have a Galactic leader, a Chancellor, like before, and he would help agree what is in the best interest of all the people, and then do it! The senators from the opposing parties would listen to each other's views and decide what the best thing to do would be."

Vader stared at her. "You are so much like your mother," he stated wistfully.

"So if we kept the governors in place, then–" Leonia started.

"I would like to hear what Lady Elena Skywalker, the daughter of Lord Vader, has to say," The Emperor suddenly cut in. "I think she has something on her mind that perhaps she should tell us."

Everyone began talking and whispering, and Elena sat there, shocked. Why on earth would Palpatine want to hear her? He hated her!

"What's going on?" She muttered to her father.

* * *

**Ooh, cliffie! Mwa ha ha ha... EH-HEM! Court shall now come to order. (Bangs on hammer again.) **

**Qui-Gon: In favor of the reviewers, the Sith lords and the Princes will now be put on trial. Their fate will be decided over the course of this story. They will endure such torture as whatever the reviewers of this story wish. **

**Pip B.: OH YEAH, BABY! (high fives Raven and Tela) **

**Adame: This is going to be fun! **

**Palps: I WANT A LAWYER! **

**Phylitr: That's up to the judges...**

**Luke: No way, Wrinkles! **

**Han: YOU WISH, ya old corpse! **

**Well now, let's stop there. I'm so excited about this story! It's going to be better than the first one, I just know it. Don't forget to review! **


	2. Catfight

Thank you all EVER so much for your reviews! I think I'm going to change the name of the sequel to 'I Am Me: Dark Angel'. I like that better, but what do you think?

**ATTENTION:** Listen, I have pictures of Elena and the rest of the Skywalker family up on my website. Please check them out and tell me what you think! The pics will be in the character pics, holo photo center, and character bios.

RavenRulzRF: Sure I'll do that! We all must agree, the Emperor is creepy. And sadistic. And evil. And sinisterly sneaky. And devious. And... well, this list could go on a couple of parsecs...

JediMan: You love Geenine? I'll have to put more of her in there... thanks so much for reviewing!

Jedi Master Arie Skywalker: Why hello again!Thanks very much. Sure you can be in it!

Jessica-Angel-Skywalker: I'll think about it.. it's a definite possibility! Thanks for your review!

M.J.L.S.: I don't like him either! Thanks so much for reviewing! Does your penname stand for 'Mara Jade, Luke Skywalker'? Just wondering.

ILUVZIM: Yeah, she is a lot like her mother, but more like her dear ol' Dad. I'm glad you liked that part, thanks for reviewing!

DaimondOfTheMoon: Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoy my story.

Writin' Dude: Thanks! Hope you like it!

Dark Lord Dashi: Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Pip B: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like the cliffe, I should do more of those more often...

Super Tinfoil Man Part 2: Yeah, Palps just wants Elena to get mad and explore more of the Dark Side. You really want to be Palp's lawyer? Okay! I don't mind.

Adame shmi Skywalker Vader: They did? I think it's still for May 26th. CAN'T WAIT! Eh-hem. Anyways, it's funny you say that Palps should have a lawyer, because Super Tinfoil Man says he wants to be his lawyer! So it works out for the best... thanks for your review!

**The clock is ticking... tick...tock...tick..tock... **

**Raven:... and we should chase them around with eggs until they get tired, and then crack them over their heads and let the yoke run all over them!**

**Tela: Weird...**

**Luke: But sounds fun! Let's do it! **

**BAMF! (Super Tinfoil Man Part 2 walks in the door with a briefcase.) **

**Super Tinfoil Man: ENOUGH! I am hereby the Sith's advocate. My client reserves the right for a fair trial. **

**I see.. well, take a seat. **

**Palps: YES! **

**Angel: I don't think so OLD UGLY EVIL man! **

**Arie Skywalker: (suddenly hits Palps with a frying pan) THAT was for what you did to the Republic and Anakin! TAKE THAT, LOSER!**

**Palps:(rubbing his head) Ow...**

**Adame: Why I oughtta... (rises from seat, only to be pulled back by Pip and Zim)**

**Qui-Gon: Let's calm down, people!**

**Would everyone just sit down? Super Tinfoil Man, state your case. (bangs on hammer) Court is now in session! Would Jedi Man please come to the stand?

* * *

Chapter 2**

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

"I do not know," Vader admitted, "I am just as curious as you are."

Leonia didn't like this idea one bit, but had to comply.

Elena slowly stood up, very nervous. She hadn't made many public speeches before. _Leia... I really need you right about now..._ She cleared her throat and made the pod move forward a bit.

"Um, thank you, Your Highness," she stated uncomfortably. _AH HA! He probably did this on purpose, just to make me look like an idiot... blasted Emperor..._ "Well, I was just thinking. Instead of having regional governors or Moffs control the planets and star systems, we should keep the senate intacked, just like Senator Mothma suggested."

Mothma liked this statement. "And," Elena continued, her confidence growing, "There should be two separate parties with opposing views, and there should also be a main leader. They should gather and discuss the different issues of the star systems, agree of what's in the best interest of all the people, or maybe have the citizens take a vote to see which idea they like best, and then incorporate it into their plans for society."

There was a dead silence in the Throne Room. Everyone was staring at Elena, who reddened, nodded, and sat down, embarrassed.

"Did I say something wrong?" she whispered frantically.

"Far from it," Vader replied.

"That's one of the most absurd things I've ever heard of," Leonia snapped abruptly, "That will not keep the systems in line. There will be even more of a Rebellion than there already is right now."

Elena was angry at this statement, but kept her cool. "I don't think so," she retorted, "It will make the people happier and more comfortable."

"No, it will be the opposite," Leonia cut in, glaring at Elena, "The star systems need the Moffs to keep the people in line."

"You mean _fear_ will keep the systems in line," Elena shot back, suddenly standing up, growing angrier by the minute.

The Emperor watched this with amusement, and liked the fact that Elena was growing mad and frustrated; poor Mon Mothma was standing there, a bit confused. She was also listening very closely to Elena.

"If that's what works," Leonia retorted coldly.

"Oh, so you're saying that whatever _you_ say and whatever _you_ want, you should get it," Elena raised her voice, growing enraged.

"Did I ever say that?"

"It was definitely implied!"

"Well maybe you should listen closer, Skywalker. You're not even a politician or a leader, how would _you _know what's best for the people and the galaxy? I'm your age and I'm a Moff already! And what are you? You're still a mere schoolgirl with no military or leadership training whatsoever," Leonia sneered.

Elena's eyes flashed white for a split second, but thankfully no one saw it; a sudden stroke of lightning split the sky outside, causing everyone to jump.

"I _beg_ to differ," Elena hissed, "I am the daughter of Lord Vader, and have had years of battle training. Have you ever been in the heat of battle, people dying all around you? Have you ever known what it's like to be lying awake in bed, frozen? What would you know of the military, battles, or fighting?"

Leonia subconsciously put her hand to her throat, growing scared. Elena glared at her and sat down suddenly, breathing in hard. _Well that was handled well, _she thought sarcastically.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," she said aloud, "I…I shouldn't have said that."

The Emperor had very much enjoyed her little speech and replied, "Oh, quite the contrary, young Skywalker, I rather liked your little declaration. This meeting is hereby adjourned for further consideration." His beady eyes bored into Elena's, and she stood up and strode out of the pod, her father following her.

"That was just splendid," she hissed, "Why did I have to go and blow up right in front of everyone like that? They'll think I'm worse than you." She felt guilty.

Vader breathed loudly, as usual. "Elena, don't feel bad about what you said, that girl deserved what she got for talking to you like that. No one will blame you; she could be executed for speaking to you in that tone."

"But she won't be," Elena muttered.

"Probably not," Vader admitted. "But what you suggested in there was nothing short of brilliant. Well done, my daughter."

Elena smiled a little. "Thanks."

When they got home, the two of them had their usual lightsaber duel, and Elena left to go to her room. Leia was waiting on the Holocom.

"I heard what you said," her friend declared. "And your idea was awesome... except for that part at the end."

Elena sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I kinda lost it there," she replied, "I know what I said was wrong. Probably something my father would have done, and I don't think that's the best thing."

Leia nodded. "Don't worry about it, Lena, she deserved what she got. She's an evil, bratty tyrant, and I hate her, too. I actually am proud of you, I probably would have said something of the same sort," she chuckled. "Or worse!"

Elena smiled faintly.

"Aw, come on, let it go!" Leia encouraged. "Just forget it ever happened. I've blown up in a debate more times than I care to remember."

Elena laughed and replied, "I'd like to see _that_ sometime. When do think would be the best time to visit you?"

Leia frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm, well, I'm coming to Coruscant in a month or two, so why don't you come back with me when we're ready to leave?" she suggested.

"Great idea, Leigh," Elena complimented, "I'll talk to Dad first, see how he feels about it. You know how protective he is of me."

Leia nodded. "Yeah, I know. Well, I should go, got another debate tonight. Wish me luck!"

"Will do," Elena replied, "Skywalker out." The screen showing Leia turned black. Elena sighed, ran a hand through her hair, and Force called her homework to her, snatching a datapad.

---

The next morning, Elena zoomed off to school on her speederboard. There, she carefully eyed the grounds, seeing if Gerjen Ozzel was hanging around somewhere. Thankfully, he wasn't, so she slipped inside along with all the other people and quickly made her way to her locker. Opening it, she stuffed her belongings inside and took out her history book, quickly looking around.

A sudden tap on her shoulder made her whisk around and yell, "I'm not going out with!–" her face relaxed as she saw Keira, Beyoncé, and Mara staring at her, amused.

Beyoncé whistled. "Wow, you got it bad, girlfriend," she chuckled, shaking her head.

Elena scowled. "Well hey, it's not my fault that this son of a jerk keeps practically stalking me. If this keeps up for long, I'm gonna run him through–"

"With your lightsabers, yes, we know," Keira sighed. "Come on, we'll protect you."

The four walked down the hall, ignoring some of the whistles from various boys. "Where's the water, it's hot in here!" one boy called out from behind, laughing.

Mara glared at them. "I should have brought my lightsaber," she hissed, annoyed.

"Come on, they're boys," Beyoncé reminded, "They're going to be stupid, idiotic, and rude."

Elena suddenly gasped. "Oh no, here he comes!" she squealed, drawing back. The girls kept a tight hold on her as she tried to run.

"No, no, no, just wait!" Keira called, "We won't let him say anything to you, just come on, Elena!"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Mara added. "If he tries anything funny I'll kick his scrawny little butt."

Elena sighed defeated, put her head down, and trudged along with the group. She made sure not to make eye contact with Gerjen as he strode forward, an eager look on his face as he approached Elena.

"Hi, Elena," he said brightly, "I was just wondering how you'd like if you went to a holovid with me tomorrow night."

All three girls, except Elena, spoke at once. "She's got homework," Mara put in.

"She's got a new mission," Beyoncé spoke up.

"She has a lightsaber duel with her father," Keira said.

Gerjen stared at them, dubious and confused. "Well which one is it?" he said, eyeing them.

"All of them," they said unanimously, glaring hard at him.

Elena tried desperately not to burst out laughing, and slapped a hand over her mouth.

"But what kind of mission is it?" Gerjen went on, narrowing his eyes.

The girls glanced at each other. "A big one," Mara said.

"An important one," Beyoncé added.

"A long one," Keira piped up. Poor Elena was on the verge of tears from holding in her laughter for so long. Her head was now turned in the opposite direction so that he couldn't see her face.

Gerjen shrugged. "Oh, okay," he replied, "So I'll see you later, all right Elena?" he walked past the group.

"Um, sure," Elena said, still trying to hold her laughter in. When he was gone, the entire group burst into laughing.

"That was SO funny!" Beyoncé laughed, "Did you see his face?"

"I can't believe he was that _stupid_ as to believe us!" Mara chuckled.

Elena snorted. "I can," she giggled.

"Hey girls, what's so funny?" a male voice spoke up behind them. They turned to see a good friend of theirs, Derek Klivian, a funny young man training to be an officer and a pilot on one of the Star Destroyers.

"Hey Hobbie," Elena replied, using his well known nickname, "How's it going these days?"

Derek shrugged. "Not bad," he answered, "Though it could be better. I was on a mission a few days ago and got annoyed with another cadet named Biggs Darklighter. We didn't get off on the right foot."

_Where have I heard that name before?_ Elena pondered to herself. _It sounds so familiar..._ "Hobbie," she said, "Did Biggs ever live on Tatooine, you know, in the outer rim?"

Derek was a bit startled. "Yeah, he did. He grew up and still lives there. How'd you know that?"

"Um..." Elena fumbled for the right words, since she didn't want them to know that Luke had told her. "I don't know... I heard about him a while back." She shrugged.

He laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot that you would know everything," he replied, "I mean, you _are_ Lord Vader's daughter, so you would know about all that stuff."

Elena laughed weakly. "That's it... sure... well listen, I got to run to class." _ME AND MY BIG MOUTH! _She then hurried off up the stairs to her next classroom, the others watching her leave, confused.

Mara stared after her for a second, after all the others had followed Elena to class. "Something's not right," she stated softly to herself. "Elena's hiding something. Something very important." Frowning, she ran up the stairs, deep in thought. This had not been the first time that she was suspicious of her friend.

* * *

**Nope, cause we all know what happened before! All rightie.. where were we?**

**Jedi Man: So I think that they should be chased around by all the bounty hunters while changing the baby's diapers! (the reviewers cheer)**

**Super Tinfoil Man: Objection! Witness is not stating an actual fault of the defense! **

**Sustained... for now. OK, why don't you step down and let the defense argue its case?**

**Celt: Let's not and say we didn't...**

**Leia: Hear, hear. **

**Super Tinfoil Man: These beatings of the Sith have gone on chapter after chapter and for what, I ask you? The Sith lords must be treated like any other being in the galaxy. For what crimes have they commited? It is a mere one sided view of the Empire and the Sith lords. Are they really THAT bad? Or is it the Rebels who have beaten and tortured these poor souls without valid evidence against them? In conclusion, I say, leave these poor Sith alone. **

**Luke: Don't pull that kind of junk on me, Palpatine is EVIL! **

**SIT... down. (Luke sits down) All right, the case will continue in the morning. However, I'm gonna have to tell the Princes to STOP taking pictures of Leia. **

**Pip: You guys are sick. **

**Arie: Hear, hear. **

**All right, well that was that chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to leave a review! **


	3. Battles

Wow. That's all I can say. Thank you so much for all of your reviews, it's the most I've ever gotten for just two simple chapters. I greatly appreicate it.

Oh, and don't forget to see the pics of Elena and family on my website! If you already have... thanks! And I FINALLY SAW X-MEN 3 today! I loved it! So many cool mutants with awesome powers... gives me new ideas, ya know?

**IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE:** I am hereby changing the title to 'I Am Me: Dark Angel.' You'll see why much later. I already have written 75 pages of the story! Ain't that cool? And it's not even half done. That's a bit scary. I might have to make it a trilogy. But we'll see! I'm not going to make it over forty chapters. I hate reading exceedingly long stories.

Arie Skywalker: So happy you liked the catfight! I enjoyed writing it. Oh, if you don't know who the characters are, then look them up on Wookieepedia. I didn't invent Leonia. Of course you can be in the story! For as long as you want!

Dark Lord Dashi: Yeah, she certainly did! Thanks!

DaimondoftheMoon: Your wish is my command. Here you go!

alexceasar: Yeah, I don't like when Luke or whoever turns. Elena isn't turning! But yes, she would LIKE very much to run them through... so happy you like doting Vader! He's getting warmer...

JediMan: I updated a week ago. You want to ban the 'tin' from Super Tinfoil Man's name? Ask him about that. Now remember, this isn't a story where reviewers argue and bash each other, it's just for fun.

Writin' Dude: Right-eeo! And thank you so much for signing my guest book. I do appreciate it!

Adame shmi Skywalker Vader: Hmm, I do see your point. HOWEVER, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. You guys should hold onto your hats, cause there are a LOT of twists coming up!

Jessica-Angel-Skywalker: Thank you! Yes, Arie IS bad, isn't she? JUST KIDDING!

Super Tinfoil Man Part 2: It does seem that way, doesn't it? She needs to control herself a little better, but if I were she, I would probably act the same way. Thanks!

ILUVZIM: Well, we'll see what's coming up next! MWA HA HA HA! The world WILL never know... but then of course.. you ARE very good at figuring out my secrets...

RavenRulzRF: Sadly, no, I haven't. Thanks for the review!

completely-obsessed: Why thank you! That's really nice of you to say that.

Pip B: Mexican hat dance? Sounds like something ol' Scalps would enjoy! He he he! Thanks for reviewing!

**Ahh.. now, where were we? Oh yeah, Super Tinfoil Man was saying something.**

**Super Tinfoil Man: I ask you, people of the jury, does he really look like a killer to you?**

**Luke: (screams and jumps ten feet out of his chair)**

**Court: (gasps in terror and anger)**

**Tinfoil: (turns to Palps, teeth clenched) Next time, try not to smile, capishe?**

**Palps: Sorry. **

**Arie: You ain't sorry for nothin', you sick LUNATIC! **

**Zim: Right on the money, Arie! **

**Adame: I vote that we should throw our banana peels at the Sith! **

**Pip: Sounds good to me! **

**Angel:... but I don't like bananas...**

**Raven: OK, then you can throw cucumbers at him.. and I'll sick a couple of German Shepards on him! **

**Angel:...?**

**Uh, Raven... _why_ cucumbers?**

**JediMan: Who cares? How about some mashed up squash? Or, we could have him say: I'm stupid in front of the whole galaxy while stuffing cheese up his ears? **

**Leia: I think we're getting a wee bit off subject, here...**

**Xizor: You said it, Princess! **

**Isolder: Right on the credits! **

**Han: SHUT UP!**

**(Entire court begins to argue) Well... I think we need a break. Let's get to Elena, shall we?

* * *

Chapter 3**

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

That afternoon, as Elena entered the hangar bay, she didn't notice a different shuttle parked there. Since there were so many other ships, she passed right by it, taking no notice of it whatsoever. Walking into the main hall, she passed through the palace, trying to locate her father.

After she had found his location, she strode through the doors into one of the lunch rooms, saying, "I'm warning you, if I see that guy again, I'm going to..." she stopped when she saw many other Imperial leaders there. "Oooops," she went on, "Wrrrong room. Sorry about that." Embarrassed, she turned around and began to walk out of the room.

"You may stay, Elena," Vader said, sitting at the head of the table.

Elena turned back. "I don't want to be any trouble," she continued, shaking her head.

"You will not be any trouble," Vader replied, "Now sit." He motioned to an empty seat.

Elena glanced at the other Imperials, which included Moff Tarkin, Leonia Tavira, who was glaring at her, her old pal Jix, who grinned, and Lieutenant Jenson, who was giving her a small smile. Elena took a seat and folded her arms neatly.

"The Rebellion is growing," Tarkin went on, "We need to have an operation that will wipe them out quickly."

"What about our forces on Sullust?" Leonia questioned, still glaring at Elena. "We could send a private assassin or spy there to find them." Elena glared right back.

Vader glanced at the young Moff. "The stormtroopers there will find them soon, so there is no need to send someone to that planet. It would be irrelevant."

Elena looked away, deep in thought.

"What about Dantooine?" Jenson questioned. "We might find something there. There have been a few reports of Rebel activity on Dantooine in the past few months."

Tarkin nodded. "We should send a detachment of stormtroopers there immediately," he ordered.

"No," Vader objected, "We need someone with more intelligence and experience to break through the Rebel line. Someone under cover." He stood up and began slowly pacing the room.

"But who?" Leonia asked. "Most of the spies are already within the lines on other systems."

Everyone was silent for a moment. "What about one of the Emperor's new agents, Shira Brie?" a captain questioned.

Elena thanked a droid quietly as it brought her some food. She grabbed a fork and dug in eagerly.

Vader didn't like this idea. "No, the Emperor will most likely want her for something else at a different time. Someone with good skills and quick thinking needs to go."

Elena knew what had to be done. "I'll go," she spoke up, a firm look of determination on her face.

The group stared at her. "You will go?" Tarkin repeated, glaring at her. "I think not. You do not have enough experience or have enough knowledge about penetrating the Rebel forces."

"And I think you highly underestimate my daughter's resources," Vader boomed, striding towards the Grand Moff. "Elena is a good choice. She will go to Dantooine. There is nothing more to be said on the matter. Unless you feel this unfair?"

Tarkin glared at him and Elena before leaving the room with most of the other Imperial officers. Jenson gave her a smile and left.

Vader turned to Elena as she stood up. "Do you feel that you are ready for this?" he asked her more gently.

She nodded. "Yes, I do," she replied. "I'll be fine, Dad. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

"Of course she can, Uncle Dee," Jix added, "My good cousin Skyler here will do one heck of a job, I'll tell you that. You remember what happened last time." He slapped her on the back.

"Yes," Vader answered dryly, "You dragged her off to Corellia to be in the presence of smugglers and pirates."

Jix shrugged sheepishly and left the room.

"You realize that you will probably have to use your morphing power or use a disguise to get past the Rebel forces," Vader continued, "They will recognize you and your name. What will your under cover name be?"

She thought for a minute. "Hmm... how about... well, I'll think of a name, and when I get one, I'll let you know." She nodded and walked out of the room, ready to practice her lightsaber skills before she left.

Vader watched her leave, deep in thought.

--

As Elena fell asleep, she found herself once again in Naboo. Expecting to see either Luke or her father there, she walked out onto the terrace, trying to see if someone was there.

"Elena!" Luke walked out behind her from the house, grinning at her.

Elena turned around and smiled. "Luke, great to see you again," she replied, and gave him a hug.

"I know, it's been ages," Luke answered, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

She slapped him lightly on the arm. "Behave yourself, flyboy," she said, "Or else I'm gonna kick your butt."

"Oh I doubt that," Luke smirked, folding his arms over cockily.

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?" she replied slyly, and began walking slowly towards him.

Luke wiped the grin off his face and suddenly shouted, "FLAME ON!" and burst into flame, flying off of the patio.

"YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW, LUKE SKYWALKER!" Elena shouted, "You're not playing by the rules!"

Luke eventually flew back and drew his lightsaber out. "Okay, then if you're gonna be such a poor sport, let's play your way." He ignited it, blue blade flashing.

Elena took out her lightsabers. "Now that's what I'm talking about," she grinned, and charged toward him at full speed.

Suddenly without warning, another person appeared a few feet away, and stared at them, completely in shock. Elena and Luke halted, staring at her.

"What in VADER'S name is going on here?" Leia squawked, eyes wide. "What the... Elena? What are you doing here? Where are we? Who are _you_?" she looked at Luke.

Luke and Elena glanced at each other and drew their lightsabers back in. "Uh... look Leia, I need you to calm down," Elena said, striding forwards. "There's something I need to tell you."

--

"This is not my day," Leia groaned about half an hour later. "First I find out that I have a brother I never knew about, I'm adopted, you're my sister, and my father is one of the evilest people in the galaxy." Her shoulders slumped.

Elena sighed and rubbed her temples. "There was no better time to tell you this, Leigh," she said, "but you had to know. I'm sorry that you hate Vader, but there's nothing I can do about it. He's your father, and I'm your sister. Our mother was the same person. You have to trust me on this."

"No," Leia shook her head. "I'll admit that you're my sister and that you're my brother... but I can't admit that Vader's my father. I'm sorry, I just can't do it right now." Tears were forming in her eyes.

Luke glanced at Elena before turning to Leia. "Leia, listen to me," he said, "I know this is hard and unexpected for you, but Elena's been trying to turn our father back to the good side of the Force. We've been working together on our skills so that we can bring down the Emperor and have a new Republic back. The only way Elena and I can communicate is by this vision we have each night. No one else knows about this."

Leia looked at him and back to Elena. "Well, I guess you're right. This is just all too sudden for me." She sighed and sat down.

Elena and Luke glanced at each other nervously. "So... you believe us, right?" Luke said uncertainly.

Leia slowly nodded. "Yes, I believe you," she replied. "Somehow... I guess I've always known. I don't know." She stood up and paced anxiously.

"Erm, Leia, I'd love to just sit around here and chat, but there's a lot of things we need to talk about," Elena spoke up. "Like, you need to be trained as a Jedi."

Leia whisked around. "A Jedi? Are you crazy, I don't have those... well, I guess I could tell you," she admitted. "I have these special powers, like, um... I can copy–"

"Any superhero power from the comic books?" Luke finished. "Yeah, we know. We have the same powers, too. Claws, fire, ice, shooting webs, laser eyes, flying- everything."

Leia gaped, jaw dropped. "Ohhh-kayy, then," she finally stuttered, "I take it back, I can do what you can do. But what if Vader finds out?" she questioned, refusing to call him her father.

Elena grimaced. "He's not," she stated. "He rarely has this vision, I've only met him a few times here before, and Luke wasn't there. Somehow, the Force has made it so that when Luke or you is here, he's not, and when he's here, you're not. Get it?"

Leia nodded.

"And therefore, he won't find out about you if you don't show your powers in public, or else he'll know that something's up. Got it?"

More nods.

"Good. Well, if there's nothing else, I think it's time you had your first lightsaber practice. Luke, which lightsaber can we give her?"

Luke glanced around. "Well... why don't we let her use Mace Windu's for now? It's right there on that table over there." He pointed to a small side table to the right of them.

The girls nodded. "Sure," Elena replied, "But Leia, instead of trying to walk over there to get it, I want you use the Force and call it to you."

Leia was nervous. "I've never done anything like that before," she said, concerned, "How am I supposed to move a lightsaber, much less a..." the lightsaber flew into her hand. She stared at it. "Uh... forget it."

Luke smiled. "Great job, Leia! Now, ignite it, pressing that button there, and I'll show you the correct stance. Elena, come help me."

Elena grinned and walked over to the others, ready to show Leia the ways of the Force.

After a while, Leia was making good progress. But it felt rather odd to have just one lightsaber in her hand. "Uh, guys, I think I might do better with two lightsabers… like yours," she nodded towards Elena's.

Luke and Elena glanced at each other.

"Sure," Luke replied. "Um, let's see. You can use mine for now."

"No need," Elena spoke up calmly, "There's Bastilla Shan's right there." She looked at the table.

Leia called it to her and stared at it. "But this is a double bladed," she protested.

"Then break off an end and use one of those," Luke suggested.

"Okay," Leia replied uncertainly. She broke off one of the hilts and used her controlling metal ability to patch it back up together. To her satisfaction, it worked, showing a bright yellow blade.

It was then that the last Skywalker child had joined the Force vision, but there were still more people who would be joining them.

* * *

**WHOA HO HO! So, Zim, your wish came true! Leia's found out who she is, and is taking up her role in the Skywalker family. **

**Isolder: Darn! I really dislike that family. **

**Arie: Dude, Leia's part of the family. And I thought you LIKED her. **

**Isolder: Well... I... **

**Arie: I give up. You're weird. (walks away to begin banging Maul on the head with a newspaper)**

**Adame: So what're we gonna do about the Sith now? **

**Raven: Well, we could throw large javelins at them, or throw large logs at them... or, we could throw large bean bags at them! **

**(Everyone stares)**

**Tela: Raven, you're weird.**

**Zim: Well, I think we're all a little weird. **

**Tinfoil: Definitely. Are we still doing this case thing or not? **

**Dunno. We'll think about it. ANYWAYS, don't forget to leave a review. And check out my website, which has a new faq, in case you have any questions I can't answer here. Oh, and if you want to, look up Lenoia Tavira on Wookieepedia. Thanks!**


	4. Paths

Ooh... we're getting to the exciting part! But what happened to everyone? Some people seemed to have disappeared. Anyways, this chapter is hard to write because I have a broken finger. Ack! OH well. I have a great idea for a new fanfic!

**IMPORTAN! PLEASE READ:**OK, before I go any further, I would like you to check out my holo photo albums on my website, or my character pics or bios. Here is what I think they should look like:

Elena: Jessica Alba- as Susan Storm, blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair

Mara Jade: Lindsay Lohan- with her red hair

Beyonce Rodan: Beyonce Knowles

Keira Piett: Keira Knightley- kind of like she does as Elizabeth Swann in POTC

That's it!

Arie Skywalker: Thank you so much! I'll continue to put you in the best way I can. Will Vader turn? Hmm... we'll see!

completely-obsessed: Why thank you! I do appreciate it.

ILUVZIM: Yep! Another cliffie! Here's the update, and thanks once again for reviewing!

RavenRulzRF: Delta squad, huh? Hm... ideas are always good things! I'd like to go skydiving... Palps is probably afraid of heights!

DaimondoftheMoon: Thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Jessica-Angel-Skywalker: Thanks!

Dark Lord Dashi: You'll see! Just keep reading and find out!

mommywan kenobi: Mmm hmm. Mmm hmm. Yep. Sure. HI MOM! Yes, this is my MOTHER! Correcting me on my grammar, of course! Argh. Oh well. Thanks anyways for reviewing, mom!

Pip: Thank you! Dark Angel refers to Elena. Angel- because she can copy Angel's powers. Dark- well... have you ever heard of the TV show 'Dark Angel'?

Super Tinfoil Man: Well, thanks for reviewing!

**Well, I've decided to take a rather long break from this trial and have some fun. Amusement park, anyone?**

**Reviewers: YEAH! **

**Maul: (Teeth chattering) Oh... n-no, I HATE Six Flags! **

**Arie: (whacks him upside his head) SCAREDY SITH, SCAREDY SITH! **

**Maul:(rubbing his head) Ow.**

**Raven: I say we send the Sith into Six Flags and send the Delta Squad after 'em! **

**Angel: I wish we had more people here. Can't we just put them in jail for life?**

**Sith: NO!**

**Isolder: Well I don't care about them. Just put Mr. LOSER (points to Xizor) in jail so he can't take away Leia!**

**Xizor: SLIME! **

**Han: Hey, that's MY line, you CREEP! **

**Zim: Well, said, Cap'n! **

**Isolder: OAF! **

**Xizor: FRUITCAKE! **

**Raven: SHUT! UP! I say you all go skydiving. **

**Dooku: (teeth chattering) Oh... n-no, I HATE skydiving! I'm afraid of heights! **

**Palps: OH FOR THE LOVE OF...**

**Pip: I say after that, you fix the Jedi archives. **

**Dooku: But I'm not computer savvy!**

**Pip: So? You're just not savvy ANYTHING!**

**JediMan: Let's go to Six Flags! **

**Reviewers: TALLY HO! **

**Well... that was interesting! Let's get back to Elena... shall we?

* * *

Chapter 4 **

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

"Elena! Elena!" Mara called out, waving her helmet around wildly in the air.

Elena turned around to see her best friend running towards her. "M. J.!" she exclaimed, "What in Force's name are you doing here?"

Mara grinned. "I'm joining you for your mission, of course," she replied, "Your father didn't want you to go alone, and the Emperor wanted me to go as well, so here I am!"

"Got everything you need?" Elena questioned.

Mara nodded. "Lightsaber, blaster, emergency rations, yep, I think I got everything."

"Great, let's get out of here," Elena replied, "I'm just going to say good bye to my father before I leave." She walked out of the hangar bay in search of Vader. She finally found him in the main data center. "Father," she called out, earning Vader's attention.

"Elena, I take it you're leaving now," he rumbled, "Is Mara joining you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, thanks for letting her come along, I'll need the encouragement."

"It was the least I could do," he replied, "You've been so useful on your latest missions, and you saved Jix's life. I am very proud of what you've accomplished, my daughter. You have earned this assignment. Well done."

Elena smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate it," she answered. "Well, I better go, I shouldn't keep M. J. waiting. See you later, Dad." She waved as she left the room, running back into the hangar bay.

She went back to the hangar and found Mara in their ship, which was called the _Saboteur_.

"You ready to leave?" Mara questioned, closing the hatch and pressing some buttons.

"Yeah, definitely," Elena replied, sitting down in the co. pilot's chair. The starship's engines were ignited, and it zoomed forth into the endless vastness of space.

- - -

Once they were about three hours into the journey, Mara came upon Elena, who was studying some files. She sat down and observed her best friend carefully.

Elena finally glanced up. "Something wrong?" she asked, and looked back down.

Mara looked at her keenly. "Possibly," she replied, sounding a bit suspicious.

"Well, what is it?" Elena put her pad down and stared at her friend intently.

Mara sighed. "I think that you're hiding something from me," she admitted, "I mean, I know we're best friends, we have been for some time now, but lately you've been more... distant. You have something on your mind that you're not telling me, and I also think you're not telling your father, either."

Elena was silent for a moment. Finally, she spoke up. "I don't trust the Emperor," she stated quietly, "And you're his Hand. I know we're best friends, but I can't risk telling you what he most likely will find out. I trust you, but I don't trust him. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything."

Mara nodded. "I understand," she replied in a low tone. "I don't trust him all that much either. If it's something vitally important, then I'll leave you alone."

"M. J., believe me, I would tell you, it's just... _him_," Elena continued, frowning.

"Are you a Rebel?" Mara asked suddenly.

Elena looked shocked. "What? No! I couldn't betray my father like that! Not now, like this. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Where on earth did that come from?" She quickly rambled on.

Mara shrugged. "I don't know, you just seem to hate the Emperor and the Empire... so..."

"Just because I don't like the Emperor or how this galaxy is run doesn't mean I'm just gonna go turn my back on my father, Mara," Elena interrupted firmly.

"But what if he told you that you had to become a Sith?" Mara went on quickly.

Elena opened her mouth, shut it again, and answered, "I don't want to become a Sith. I never have. When the time comes, I'll make my _own _decision, not one that someone else chooses for me. I've already promised myself that." Her eyes flashed a stormy white for a spilt second, and Mara jumped, startled.

"What?" Elena asked, calming down.

"Either I just saw your eyes turn white, or I'm seeing things," Mara said, confused.

"Then you're seeing things," Elena returned abruptly, and got up, marching back to the cockpit, unwilling to continue the conversation any further.

Mara stared after her, narrowed her eyes in deep thought, and slowly rose to follow her friend. "What have you got yourself into this time, Elena Skywalker," she muttered to herself. The rest of the trip was generally very quiet.

* * *

**Hmm... things are beginning to happen, eh? Mara seems to be...(stares at Sith, who are on a roller coaster, screaming at the top of their lungs. Right in the car behind them, a Delta squad is gaining on them.) That's interesting...**

**Zim: Now THAT'S funny!**

**Pip: You said it! **

**Luke, Chewy, and Han: (Can't talk because they're laughing too hard) **

**Arie: I want to torture the Princes next! **

**Leia: I'm with you!**

**Raven: Count me in! **

**Next time... more of this! Just don't forget to leave a review! Just press the periwinkle button below! And thanks! **


	5. Names

Thank you so much for all the reviews, as usual! Hope you all enjoy this chapter. The plot thickens!

For those of you who didn't know, I just put out a new story, it's a Cinderella story. Very different from what I usually write, but I'm very excited about it. Check it out!

* * *

Jessica-Angel-Skywalker: Very! More shocking things coming up!

DaimondOfTheMoon: Hey, thank you very much for reviewing. Good luck on your exams.

Jedi Master Arie Skywalker: No prob! Vader's coming up soon... but this is a very interesting chapter. Thanks!

PippinBaggins: Congrats! You finally joined! I'm very looking forward to reading your stories. Actually, Mara is just questioning Elena herself, cause she's a bit worried about her. She doesn't want her to be some kind of traitor. Thank you!

RavenRulzRF: Hiking on Tatooine... now there's a good idea! Your link didn't show up... I don't know why. Just leave out the www., and it'll work. Thanks!

Super Tinfoil Man: We'll have to see!

Infinite Inferno: Thank you for taking the time to read my other stories, I really appreciate it! If you want to know more about the X-Men, who are REALLY cool, then go to Wikipedia, or just Google them. In my Attack of the Clones story, I'll tell you what each mutant can do. Sure, you can join in the fun!

ILUVZIM: Hi back! No prob. Don't worry, the idea hasn't been taken yet. Maybe they could be in the Fifa World Cup! He he he...

JediMan: Her eyes turned white because Storm's eyes turn white when she's controling the weather with her mind. Emotions have something to do with it... thank you for reviewing!

**PEOPLE! I have an announcement... to make! Pippin Baggins, normally known as Pip B, or Pip, has just become an official member of Fanfiction. net! CONGRATS!  
**

**Reviewers: All right! **

**Sith: NOOOOOO! **

**Maul: Do you know what this means? Now Pip will write stories about us... that make us out to be evil psychopaths!**

**Palps: But we ARE evil psychopaths...**

**Leia: You can say that again.**

**Angel: I agree with my sis. That least is a little payback, right Leia?**

**Leia: Totally!**

**Arie: I say, in total celebration, we should have triple the torture! Pip, will you begin the honors?**

**Pip: Nothing like an old fashioned punishment.**

**Xizor: What do you mean?**

**Pip: You have to write your name 350 times on the chalkboard.**

**Isolder: HA HA! LOSER!**

**Pip: And YOU, Isolder, must watch him carefully while scratching your fingernails ON the board. **

**Princes: NO! **

**Raven: And you, Sithies... GET 'EM, DELTAS! (watches in satisfaction as Sev runs around chasing them with a blaster and Fixer with his gaunlet blade) Now THAT'S funny...**

**Oh guys, I also wanna intro a new friend, Infinite Inferno. **

**Dooku: Infinite? Like, gonna be here forever?**

**Infinite: Just for speaking, you're gonna wear a ballerina, PINK ballerina tu-tu and dance ballet, just as a little welcoming gift. **

**Dooku: ACK!**

**Well, we'll get back to the fun... right after this important message. Uh, yeah... THE STORY!

* * *

Chapter 5**

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Mara and Elena finally reached the planet of Dantooine, which was mostly a farming and peaceful planet.

"Hm, doesn't appear to be the kind of planet a Rebel base would be on, would it?" Mara remarked, staring at the planet.

"I'm curious," Elena replied, pressing some buttons, "What kind of planet _would_ a Rebel base be on?"

Mara shrugged. "I don't know, somewhere cold maybe... secluded... uninhabited... dangerous... where they know the Imperials would never dare to go; take your pick."

"Perhaps they've gotten bolder, more daring," Elena pointed out. "They can't be the cowards everyone says they are."

"How would you know?" Mara asked. "Have you ever met one?"

"Well... I..." Had she ever met one? Elena thought hard for a minute. "Yes, I think I have," she continued quietly.

Mara looked at her. "And.. what were they like?"

Elena turned to her firmly. "They were kind. Brave, passionate about what they believed in, weren't afraid to fight for what they though was right, honorable, well-bred, and were exactly what the Empire said they _weren't_." She cockily eyed Mara before turning back to the console.

Mara narrowed her eyes before looking back at the planet. "I'm really starting to hope that you're not in any way affiliated with the Rebellion, Elena," she said, "Because I don't know what I'd say if you were. Or what I'd tell your father." She looked back at Elena. "Let's just say you were. What would you say to your father if he found out?"

Elena snorted. "If he found out, then I'd probably be marked as a traitor and sentenced to death and torture by the Emperor himself," she remarked, "I doubt my father would have much to say in the matter. He would probably feel betrayed, angry, furious, sad, and felt that he had been a bad father. That is why I am _not_ in any way affiliated with the Rebellion," she said, greatly emphasizing 'not'. "But if I were, what would you think, Mara?"

"I...uh..." Mara fumbled for words. "I'd feel sad, like you let me down. I'd feel angry, hurt, depressed... but a part of me would feel.. I don't know. Maybe proud." She glanced at Elena, who gave her a surprised look. "I mean, you were fighting for what you believed you thought was the right thing to do, no matter what anyone said, and despite the odds. You didn't care what anyone else thought, and you weren't doing it for yourself or your own glory, you were doing it for a cause."

There was silence for a minute.

"Truthfully?" Elena asked.

Mara smiled. "Truthfully," she replied. "We're entering the atmosphere now."

Upon first looking at the view of the planet, the girls whistled. "Wow, this is what I could call an undeveloped planet," Elena remarked.

Dantooine was mostly so, except for a few small villages. There were clean and beautiful oceans, where humanoids resided next to, many different animals, flat lavender fields, and it had a tranquil, peaceful air about it.

"I think I could stay here for a few months," Mara added.

"Where should we land the ship?" Elena questioned. "I don't see many landing pads here, do you?"

Mara looked down at the wide open fields. "We could just land there," she suggested, "I mean, it's flat and open."

"Sounds good to me," Elena replied, and brought the ship down into a landing.

Once on the ground, the girls took some provisions and exited the ship, walking out into the clear and mildly cloudy air. Mara was the last to get out.

"We got everything we need to find a base?" she asked.

Elena nodded distantly, admiring the scenery. "I guess," she shrugged, looking around.

"What is it?" Mara asked, walking up next to her.

Elena finally turned to Mara. "It's just this. After we find the base, who are we supposed to pose ourselves as? I thought we were under cover agents trying to find the base, not Imperial stormtroopers barging our way in."

Mara nodded thoughtfully. "You have a point," she laughed suddenly. "We'll have to think of different names for ourselves. I'll be... uh..."

"Stubborn," Elena muttered.

Mara shot her a glare.

"Atlanta?" Elena piped up again. "I have heard that means 'huntress'." This earned a raised eyebrow. "Just a suggestion!" she said, putting her hands up defensively. The two then began walking through the field towards the nearest village.

Mara frowned. "What does 'Elena' mean, anyways?" she asked, glancing at Elena curiously.

"You're not going to believe this, but it means 'light'," Elena admitted, grinning ruefully. "So does 'Luke'." She suddenly realized her mistake and said, "Not that the name Luke is important, I just like to find out the meanings of different names."

Mara slowly nodded. "All right then, name brain, what does my name mean?" she demanded, pretending to let the 'Luke' thing go. In truth, she was anxious to find out who exactly Luke was and what kind of connection he had with Elena. But then, it _could_ have been that Elena was telling the truth. Mara wasn't sure.

"Your name means 'bitter'," Elena smirked.

"I am not bitter," Mara exclaimed in defiance.

"Right," Elena nodded sarcastically, "And I'm Moff Tarkin's sister." She gave Mara a cheeky grin, causing her friend to growl in annoyance. "Admit it, you are bitter, M. J.," Elena went on, "You're bitter that you never knew your parents, you're bitter at most of the people at the Imperial court, and you're bitter at the Emperor, even."

"Don't forget about Thrawn," Mara muttered.

"My dear, I never will," Elena assured her, "For you keep reminding me daily. I know you hate him, but I wish that you would allow me to meet him so that I may produce my own disgusted opinion of him."

"You won't like him," Mara said quickly and hatefully, "He's horrible. Terrible. A disgusting alien with bright red eyes, no pupils or anything. He's a despicable person."

"You make the Emperor sound like an angel," Elena retorted dryly.

Mara snorted. "Or your father. Or even Prince Xizor, for that matter."

"I highly doubt, then, that I will like Thrawn, Mara, because if he can make even Xizor look like an angel, he must be a real demon," Elena added.

Mara nodded. "But what were we talking about before? Oh, that's right, names for ourselves. I still need to think of one."

After a minute of silent thinking, Elena said, "Charmaine?"

Mara gave her an incredulous look. "You've got to be kidding me, Elena Skywalker."

"It means 'bountiful orchard'," Elena went on, shrugging. "I don't know, hurry up and think of a name. What about Anastasia?"

"Mmm... sounds too... fake," Mara replied, shaking her red head.

Elena growled. "Force, M. J., you're making this tougher than the mission on Corellia I had to do last year," she muttered.

"Fine, I pick Shayna," Mara admitted. She suddenly blushed deep to the roots of her hair.

"What's wrong with that?" Elena smiled.

Mara mumbled something incoherent.

"Yes?..." Elena leaned forward eagerly, straining to her what Mara was trying to say.

"I said it's what I would have liked my name to be!" Mara shouted, turning redder than her hair itself.

Elena shrugged and plastered on a grin. "It means 'beautiful,'" she replied, patting her on the back. "Good choice, and I'll be... erm..." she did not want to use her main choice of name, in case she would have need of it later. "I'll be Zora, I guess. That means 'dawn'."

Mara nodded. "Shayna Dask and Zora... Koon? Is that okay with your royal highness?" she teased, knowing how Elena hated the name with a passion.

"Don't call me that," Elena shot back, "I hate that title. Who in the heck ever started calling me a princess, anyways? I'm not a princess! Leia is a princess, not I!"

"Search me, Zora," Mara shrugged. "I guess, since your father's kinda in line to next be king or whatever, you would be considered a princess. Don't ask me, I just read books."

"Fine, Shayna," Elena returned, "Just don't call me that again, or you'll find yourself getting beat to death in a lightsaber duel."

Mara stared at her. "I highly doubt that," she sniffed.

"I don't," Elena grinned.

* * *

**Well, actually.. he he he, it wasn't THAT interesting. The next one is, I promise. Don't forget to leave a review! **

**Palps: Why WOULD anyone want to review your rotten story? **

**( A sudden loud breathing makes him halt.)**

**Why, hello there, Lord Vader! Wassup?**

**Vader: Well, I want to join in on the fun torturing the Siths. I'm actually a member of **

**Infinite: No kidding!**

**Han: Hey, yer Lordship!**

**Vader: Solo, I didn't expect to see you here.**

**Zim: Well, now that you're here... and not a Sith, I guess, I'm going to make the Sith volunteer for the Fifa World Cup! To be the soccer ball.**

**Palps: Vader! Defend me!**

**Vader: Name's Anakin, you loser. **

**(Palps promptly faints, and Pip, Raven, Tela, and Luke begin paining a clown face on him.)**

**JediMan: I got the Deltas some slime shooters. (Looks at Sith, who back away.) Oh yeah, you guys are also gonna be going on a little maze trip. Have fun! (pushes them into the maze with no way out)**

**Angel: Isn't this fun! **

**I quite agree. Everyone, thanks for reading! Next update will come a bit sooner than this one. Don't forget to review! No reviewers, no story!**


	6. Rebel Base

**ACK! YES! I know it's been WAY too long, but I'm back!! Here's the long awaited chapter!! Sorry to say, there's no Torturing Sith lords.. well, not much, but there will be in the next chapter!! THANKS for all of your support!**

**Disc: Blah, blah, blah... see some other chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter 6**

For the next few days, the girls trod towards the nearest civilization, which was now only about two to three miles away. The girls talked about mostly everything: from boys at school to politics to blaster pistols and Jabba the Hutt.

"You know, a Jedi Master name Vodo-Siosk Bass established a training facility here on this planet thousands of years ago," Elena remarked as they trekked through the open fields. "For generations, the facility trained many notable Jedi Padawans, including the future Sith lord, Exar Kun. Though it survived the Great Sith Wars, the place was raised to the ground by Dark Malak in the decades that followed."

"Fascinating," Mara replied, extremely interested. "It seems amazing that this planet was actually home to the Jedi battlefields. Now, hardly anyone lives here, except lizards and a few villages."

Elena nodded. "I think I like it this way better," she admitted, glancing at Mara and smiling.

Mara agreed. "Except the fact that we're tracking Rebels," she added, shooting Elena a look.

Elena made a noise in the back of her throat, a troubled expression on her face.

* * *

In no time at all, they came to the closest village, where they began asking people if there were any bases around. The villagers all denied any knowledge of a base, but Elena felt they were hiding something.

"If you could help us out, that would be great," Mara said to the shopkeeper earnestly. "We're trying to join the Rebel Alliance."

The shopkeeper shook her head and replied in a frightened tone, "I'm sorry, I don't know anything. Please leave me alone!" She ran off into the street.

Mara threw up her hands and hurried back to Elena, who was standing in the street, tossing a fruit into the air. "Well, this is just perfect," she snapped. "No one will tell me anything. You have any luck?"

"Nope," Elena replied nonchalantly, "I didn't get help, either."

Mara frowned. "What makes you so happy? We're not getting anywhere!" She fumed.

Elena caught the fruit and shot Mara a look. "Would you relax?" she asked, "Force, you're so uptight!"

"Uptight?" Mara gaped.

Elena nodded. "Mmm-hmm. You need to chill. I've already figured it out."

"So you know where the base is?" Mara asked incredulously.

"Yep."

"Why in bloody Force's name didn't you tell me?" the Emperor's Hand hissed, folding her arms over her chest angrily.

Elena shrugged. "I don't know, I wanted to see if you could figure it out yourself. Anyways," she continued before Mara could say anything else, "The base is a few miles east of here. If we rent a speeder, we should be there in a couple of minutes."

The girls stared at each other. "I'll go find a speeder," Mara finally sighed, trudging off into the village. Elena grinned.

When Mara had rented a speeder, the girls got in and started for the Rebel base. "So how'd you find out where the base was?" Mara demanded as she sat, annoyed, in the passenger seat.

Elena thought hard for an excuse. "I used the Force," She eventually told her friend. "I searched for other life forms, or signatures, on this planet, and found some all gathered together."

"I didn't know a Force user could detect non Force users," Mara said suspiciously.

Elena shrugged. "Well, I guess I can," she answered, hoping Mara didn't ask too many more questions. The truth of it was, Elena had used one of her mutant powers, Professor Xavier's, in fact, to find the Rebels. But of course, she couldn't tell Mara that information.

The girls drove until they came upon a few one-story buildings, plus a hangar bay. However, at least two dozen different sized ships were leaving the hangar bay, one following the other out and zooming into the sky.

"What's going on?" Mara wondered, staring at the disappearing ships.

"They've had an Imperial tracking device on one of their cargo," Elena said distantly, "They've left the base permanently. The Rebels are gone."

Mara shook her head in disbelief. "What, all of them?"

"Yeah."

"Well, c'mon," the redhead continued, "Maybe they've left some technology behind." She hopped out of the stopped speeder and ran towards the base.

Elena also got out of the speeder and followed her friend into the buildings. Everything was cleaned out when the girls entered. Nothing was left.

"Well, guess they pretty much cleaned out everything," Mara observed glumly, kicking an empty chair across the room.

Elena nodded absently. "Guess so," she answered. "Something just doesn't feel right."

Mara looked up and frowned. "What do you mean? Your intuitions are usually right."

"I just…" Elena started, but suddenly paled.

"What?" Mara demanded. "What is it?"

Her friend stared at her. "We have to get out of here," she said.

"What?" Mara was confused.

"You heard me," Elena hissed, snatching her friend's arm and dragging her out of the room. As she pulled Mara down the hall, Mara said, "Hold on, what's got into you?"

"This place is going to detonate in less than twenty seconds," Elena explained, worried. "We have to get out of here."

Mara's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?" she muttered, and began to rush for the entrance. "Let's get out of here!"

Elena quickly followed Mara's lead as the two young women sprinted back for the door out of the base. Elena began to panic, as she knew there were only a few seconds left.

_Three…_ she heard the detonators tick, _Two… _She saw Mara nearly at the entrance, and hurried to catch up with her. _One….!_ Elena, using the Flash's powers, super-sped through the doors, pulling Mara out with her.

It was then that the Rebel base blew to pieces, debris flying everywhere. Elena and Mara were thrown into the sky, pulled apart as they tumbled to the ground.

* * *

**Palps: HAH! Elena deserved it... bloody mutant Jedi! **

**Reviewers: Gasp**

**All rightie, that's IT!! You are SO DEAD!! **

**Sith: RUN AWAY!!!!**

**Well, that's all for now, folks!! Please review and let me know what you think! **


	7. Death

**Well, here's the next chapter. Thanks so much for all of your reviews!! I don't have time to answer them all now, but I will next chapter. **

**IMPORTANT!!: I made a mistake in the last chapter. I said that the Skywalker triplets can copy comic book superhero powers, i. e. : X-Men, Fantastic Four, blah blah. Those are Marvel comics, and the Flash is from DC comics. I didn't mean the Flash, I meant Quicksilver. So just put in Quicksilver (he's Magneto's son) instead of Flash. Okay? Thanks to Writin' Dude for bringing that to my attention. Anyways, let's move on to...**

**DUN DUN DUN DUNNN!! REVIEWERS TORTURING SITH LORDS!!! **

**(We last left our Sith and Princes during a trial. Well, the trial's over now, and we've decided to keep on torturing them for all their evildoings...)**

**Eh, I'm bored. What should we do. (Looks at Delta Squad and Raven, then to other reviewers chasing Sith.) **

**Raven: Wait for it... wait for it...**

**(Sith run by Delta Squad)**

**Raven: Okay, go. **

**(Delta Squad runs after Sith and Princes, and everyone watches and laughs as they slip and fall)**

**Sith and Princes: AAAUGH!**

**Arie Skywalker: I have some Cheeze-whiz and I'm not afraid to use it!! (Sprays Xizor and Isolder in the faces)**

**Xizor: NO!!! NO CHEESE!! I'M ALLERGIC! **

**Isolder: MY HAIR!! AAAAAAAHHHH!!**

**Zim: Palps, feel my fuzzy slippers of DOOOM!! (Chases Palps around)**

**Palps: RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!**

**Jedi Man: (Traps Palps in a room full of mirrors) HA HA! Try using your Sith lightning now!! **

**Palps: I WILL! DIEE! DIEE! (Uses Sith lightning but gets himself instead) AAAAAAAAHHHH!**

**Back to Elena!!! **

* * *

**Disc: I own Elena. I don't own Star Wars. **

**Chapter 7  
**

Elena awoke shortly after the explosion; her cuts and gashes healing back together. She groaned, slowly opened her eyes to see a smoky sky, little fires beginning to grow along the grassy plains. She lay there for a second, listening to the burning of the flames before gingerly lifting her head up.

"M.J.," she called out hoarsely, trying to see where Mara was. "M.J.? Mara?" She sat up, cracking her neck and looking around, frowning. Suddenly, she glanced down at her side and gasped in horror.

Mara Jade lay still on the singed ground… covered in blood, ash, and dust, her clothes torn apart. Her eyes were shut, and her face was cut and bruised nearly to the point beyond recognition.

Elena stared at her in disbelief. "Mara…" she whispered, brushing a stray hair from her face, "No…" She turned her friend so that she was lying on her back and felt her neck for a pulse.

Nothing.

Panicking, she lifted her wrist, checking for any sign of life.

None. There was no movement, no heart beating, and no Force presence. Elena reached out frantically into the Force, but no sign of Mara's unique signature.

Mara Jade was dead.

"NO!" Elena screamed, grabbing Mara's shoulders and shaking them, "I WON'T LET YOU DIE! YOU WILL _NOT _DIE!" Breaking down into sobs, she hugged her dead friend tightly. "You can't…" she cried, "You just can't be dead, Mara…" She gently laid her back down and stared at her, her own hot tears dripping onto the body of her best friend.

Elena stared down at Mara and placed a hand on her forehead, closing her eyes as more tears ran down her face. She didn't care that she wasn't being like a Jedi, she didn't care she was feeling pain, suffering… death. She didn't –

Without warning, Elena's eyes flew open and she gasped, frozen. She stared, trembling, at her hand on Mara's forehead and felt a searing pain rush through her entire body, sucking the very life force out of her. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. All she could do was watch her apparently dead friend as she began to slowly die herself.

But something was happening to Mara. Her bloody face slowly began to mend itself. Her cuts slowly closed up, her battered body healing from the head downwards. Mara's chest started to move up and down, her heart beating once more. The light in the Force that had gone out suddenly lit up once more, showing stronger than it had before.

Elena, shaking uncontrollably now, eyes bloodshot, somehow managed to pry her stiff hand off of Mara's forehead, glanced one last time at her friend, and keeled over, unconscious, on the ground.

Mara opened her eyes and bolted up, all clean and fresh, completely nursed back to health. She stared at her hands and looked at Elena, whose cuts and gashes were growing. Mara sighed, crawled over to her friend, and took her cold hand.

"Why didn't you tell me before, Elena?" she whispered.

Mara lifted Elena out of the speeder and carried her to their ship. She placed Vader's daughter on a bunk and gazed at her for a second before hurrying to the cockpit and starting the engines.

The ship took off from Dantooine, leaving the planet far behind as the craft jumped to hyperspace. During the entire trip back to Imperial City, Elena did not wake, move; and Mara knew her condition was deteriorating. She would soon be dead without medical attention.

_But how will the doctors react when they find out about Elena's special ability? _Mara wondered. The Emperor's Hand was dreading and yet in earnest to return to Coruscant. She was not only worried about what Vader would do once he saw Elena, but how she was going to explain this to her master. It was then she decided not to tell him anything and hope he didn't punish her if he found out.

* * *

The _Saboteur _zoomed into Coruscant city, racing towards Darth Vader's palace.

"This is Mara Jade requesting permission to land," Mara said in a rushed tone. "I have an emergency here!"

After an agonizing second, a voice replied, "Please give the identification code."

Mara quickly pressed in the code and waited. She heard Elena moan, and whisked around. "Elena!" She rushed over to her and pressed a hand to her forehead. "AH!" she cried, quickly pulling her hand away and rubbing it. Elena's forehead was hotter than a burning pipe.

As she stood, wondering how in the world Elena was still alive if she had a fever that high, the link between her and the palace beeped. She growled, forgetting her hand, and answered the com. "What?"

"You have permission to land in docking bay five," the voice said, "Commence to the bay."

Mara shook her head and piloted the ship downwards towards the bay. "Finally."

Elena continued to moan as she started shaking again. Her body began to toss restlessly back and forth, her temperature spiking up from her core.

"Hang on, Elena!" Mara said, and flew the ship into the docking bay, where she landed the ship and turned off the engines. She turned around and –

"What in the…" she trailed off, staring at Elena, who was covering in flames! She grabbed an electro-hydrant and sprayed Elena with it, dousing her in water. Elena didn't stop shaking, but the fire that had begun to spread was gone.

Elena's body suddenly became inflamed again, causing Mara to shout, stumbling backward. The Emperor's Hand stared in shock as Vader's daughter became covered in flames, but wasn't burning up…

The electro-hydrant sprayed Elena again, and Mara heaved her body over her shoulder and hurried down the ramp, where Vader and Jenson were striding towards her, two lines of stormtroopers on either side.

Vader was eager to see his daughter again, wondering how the mission had gone. But when the hatch came down, and Mara stumbled out, he knew something was dreadfully wrong. On her shoulder, a limp body hung. He picked up his pace and met them at the end of the ramp.

"Elena?" he said, touching his daughter's back. He had to pull back when his hand, though prosthetic, began to burn.

"I have to get her off me," Mara cried, "She's burning up!"

Vader and Jenson pulled her off, and Mara rubbed her shoulder in pain. The Sith stared at his daughter and motioned for a medical cot. "Hurry!" he ordered urgently. Turning to Mara, he fixed her with a look. "What happened?" his tone brooked no argument.

Mara didn't say anything as Elena was lifted onto a stretcher and led away to the hospital.

* * *

**The plot thickens again! Revenge of the Idiots is also updated, just in case you didn't know! Also the next chapter will be longer, I promise. **

**Maul: I don't want it to be longer! (growls)**

**Arie Skywalker: Who cares? I don't! (Sprays him in the eyes with some more Cheese-Whiz)**

**Zim: Palps, this is your end! **

**Palps: No it's not! I refuse to die! (Stupidly tries to fry the mirrors, but keeps hurting himself)**

**Raven: Sheesh. Sith sure are stupid people. **

**Jedi Man: (Sprays spray paint on Dooku and Maul while Zim laughs hysterically)**

**That's it for now, people. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Now all you gotta do is review and we're good. Thanks!  
**


	8. Letters

_**Dark Angel**_

_**By Serena Kenobi **_

**A/N: Mega thanks to all of my reviewers! I really appreciate each and every one of them. Couldn't keep writing without all of your encouraging comments. **

**(Sith and Princes are being strung up by their ankles in the Reviewers Temple)**

**Angel: (Looks at Qui-Gon and her father) Can I make them float? (Turns to Maul and Dooku, grinning) Zim is right. You all must die! **

**Zim: Of course I'm right! (Begins to hit Palps with a rolled up newspaper) **

**Palps: Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! **

**Arie Skywalker: You guys are starting to get on my nerves!! (Beast them over the head with a baseball bat)**

**Xizor: STOP! **

**Arie: NEVER!**

**Raven: (clears throat and stands on platform) I now declare... (everyone holds their breath) that the Sith must ride on an ever-continuing merry-go-round that goes 100 mph! **

**Pippin: Sounds good to me! Let's haul 'em away, people!**

**Angel: (laughs)**

**Raven: Ooh, this is gonna be fun! **

**Yes, I agree. Let's get back to the story, people! **

* * *

**Disclaimer: Some other chapter, you will look at. **

**Chapter 8  
**

Vader watched his daughter until she was out of sight before turning his attentions back to the Emperor's Hand. "Jade! I demand an explanation for this," he thundered.

Mara blinked, feeling her eyes well up with unwanted tears. "I need to talk with you in private," she choked, furiously trying to control her raging emotions.

Vader nodded and swept away, cape billowing behind his tall form.

Jenson walked up to her, and she began to sniffle slightly. "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine," he said, placing a comforting hand on her back. "She's had worse, trust me." He felt a bit unnerved by the broken down spirit of the usually stoic and cold Emperor's Hand, but he knew better than to say anything.

"You don't know the half of it," Mara said stubbornly, "She might die."

"Jade, I've seen Princess Skywalker blown up, captured more times than I can count, and survived severe blaster wounds," Jenson insisted. "I am sure she will pull out of this one."

Mara looked at him, silent. "It's all my fault," she burst out, covering her face in her hands.

* * *

After seeing that Elena was properly placed in the hospital, Vader went back to the palace and entered boardroom, pacing quietly. The only sound in the room was his breathing. He halted when the hiss of the doors was heard, and Mara came into the room, looking seriously depressed. She slumped down into a chair and put her head in her hands.

"Tell me everything that happened," Vader ordered.

Mara sighed and put her hands on the table. "It had been going as planned," she began, "We had found the Rebel base and were on our way. And then some _bloody_ moron put a tracking device on one of their cargo shipments, and they evacuated the planet right within that day. They were gone once we got there.

"Then, to make things even worse, Elena suddenly told me that the base would self destruct. We had almost made it out, but it blew up just as we were getting out."

Vader studied her. "I sense something happened to you, Mara," he began, "What was it?"

An uncomfortable pause. "I died," she flatly admitted.

"What do you mean, you died?" Vader demanded. "You're not dead!"

"I know!" she suddenly yelled, startling him. She glared and abruptly stood up. "I was dead," she continued, furiously pacing the room. "But... Elena did something. I don't know how, but I felt myself being… revived. I was coming back to the real world; she was healing me somehow. She was using some kind of healing power to bring me back to life; but by using her own life force and power, she was draining herself."

Vader was in astonishment. He didn't know what to say.

Mara's green eyes were now filled with tears. "She sacrificed herself to save me," she whispered, voice breaking. "She's my best friend... like a sister. I can't lose her, not after what she's done for me." She sat back down, a few tears running down her face; but her tone had hardened. She then looked up at Vader, and her gaze changed back into her normal, calm self. "What's going on?" she demanded. "What can Elena do that she or you didn't tell me?"

Vader let out a breath of air. "I don't know if I can trust you, seeing as how you are the Emperor's Hand," he started.

"And you're not?" Mara asked indignantly.

"Jade you had best hold your tongue. However… you do have a point there," Vader admitted, "But I am her father. I need to protect her."

"I won't betray her," Mara added firmly. "Not after this. I never would."

Vader paced around for a second. "The only thing I can tell you is that she has a special healing ability," he said, "She can heal extremely quickly, but never before have I heard of her, or anyone for that matter, actually healing other people that quickly... much less bringing them back from the dead."

Mara sighed, rubbing her head. "It was as if she transferred her power, then, to me," she replied. "That must have been what she did, but she didn't know she was doing it. Did she?"

"She had no knowledge about this, I am certain," Vader answered, assurance in his voice. "She knew specifically that she could not use her power outside of this palace."

Mara stood up again. "I think I need to go see her," She stated.

Vader nodded. "That would be a good idea," he replied, and followed her out of the room.

* * *

Mara quietly entered the med room where Elena was lying. She sat down in the chair next to Elena's hospital bed and watched her friend silently for a moment.

Elena was in a dark colored robe, her hair down, spread out around her face, and her eyes closed as her chest slowly rose and fell. All of the cuts had healed, but she was still unconscious.

Mara's eyes threatened to fill with tears again, and she blinked them away before taking Elena's hand.

"I know I haven't been the best friend," Mara began slowly. "I haven't always been there for you... but you were right. I am stubborn... and I am bitter. I'm bitter at most people... even myself sometimes. But I could never be bitter at you, because you are the only person in this galaxy who even gives a bloody bantha about me. Ever since we first met, I realized that you were the one person who was unlike any other in the Empire. You're not like them, Elena. And you never will be. You're kind, caring, and think about others. You may not think of yourself as this... but you are. Elena, in your heart, you _are_ a Jedi. That doesn't bother me, even though it should. And I think you always will be a Jedi. No Emperor or Sith Lord could change you." Mara squeezed her hand, stood up, and left the room. "Tell me when she wakes up," she told the nurse.

Vader had given Mara some time alone with his daughter, but now came into the room and sat down in the chair that she had sat in, silently watching Elena. He slowly put a gloved hand up and stroked her hair lightly, remembering when she had been younger. _This must what it means to be a father,_ he thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Elena was in a deep slumber, but was right back on the lake house in Naboo, talking with Luke and Leia. "It was so strange!" she rambled on, pacing the room. "I've never done anything like it before in my life!"

"Are you sure she was fully dead?" Leia questioned. "I mean, suppose she was simply unconscious."

Elena shook her head firmly. "No, she was dead, I'm certain. There was no heartbeat, no pulse, no Force presence. She was fully dead, and I brought her back to life by transferring my healing power to her."

Luke whistled. "Wow, if you can do that, then we can, too," he said, standing up. "But I've never been in that situation before."

"This is terrible!" Elena burst out. "If word of this leaks out, I'm dead! Mara might go tell the Emperor, and then Force knows what he'll say to me! He's wanted me dead for a long time... he just might kill me now! Or worse... order Dad to do it for him!"

"Elena, calm down, I don't think Mara's the kind of person who will betray you to the Emperor," Leia chided coolly. "She trusts you, and now that you've saved her life, she wouldn't go and do something like that."

Elena sighed. "I hope so," she replied worriedly. "Oh well. Come on, let's get on with your lightsaber practice."

Leia nodded and ignited her weapons. "So, when you do think you'll be coming to Alderaan?" she asked as they began to duel.

Elena blocked a jab from her. "Soon, I hope," she replied. "I have to get this mess straightened out first. And I've been so busy with Imperial politics. Why on earth do you want to be a Senator, Leia? It's so..." she made a face, as if to further prove her point.

"That's why I'm doing it, to try and help bring the corruption out of the Senate," Leia remarked. "I'm doing good, and I think it's good for me, too."

Luke shook his head. "Sometimes I think it's good that I'm staying way out Tatooine," he added, watching them, "But then I think of all the good I could be doing in the core, and I get guilty and restless. I feel so useless out here, Elena, I need to come to Coruscant." He stood up, irritated.

"Luke, you _know_ why you can't do that," Elena reminded him, spinning around; "First of all, Dad would have a bantha, secondly, the Emperor would want to kill you, and thirdly... we all need more training, and, frankly, we all know that the Force doesn't want you to come out yet."

Luke sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know," he replied quietly. "It's just that we've known each other for what... nearly four years? And I've never even seen your face in real person. Either of your faces."

"Luke Skywalker, I will see you, don't worry about that," Elena retorted, detirmined, bringing up her lightsabers again, "Trust me, I'll come and find you. Maybe after I visit Leia – nice block, Leigh!"

"Thanks, you too," Leia muttered, trying to hold her balance.

- - -

A few minutes later, the two girls were caught in a block, and both of them knew that neither of them was going to win.

"Truce?" Elena gasped.

"Truce," Leia replied, and they both pulled back. Luke clapped as they stood there, gasping for breath.

"That was wonderful, you two," he complimented, "Leia, you're doing brilliantly, we'll make you a Jedi in no time. Elena, fantastic, as always."

Elena put a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, bro," she panted. "We're one heck of a family, I can tell you that. But guys, even though I'd love to stay around, I gotta wake up soon, or Father will freak. I have to talk to Mara, anyways."

"All right, take care of yourself," Leia called as Elena jogged down the steps.

"Don't get into too much trouble!" Luke added.

Elena glanced back, grinning. "Trouble is my middle name," she quipped, saluting them. She then disappeared, waking up back into the real world.

Leia sighed. "Well, I have to say one thing. This is one of the most odd situations I have ever heard of." She ruefully smiled at Luke, who just laughed in return.

* * *

It was a bit dark in the room when Elena slowly opened her eyes. She heard faint noises coming from the other people and droids in the hospital, but other than that it was generally quiet. She lifted her head up and saw a few vases of assorted flowers on the side table, along with some cards. She picked up one and read it:

_Dear Elena,_

_I'm really sorry that you got hurt. That must have been terrible, getting blown up like that. And it happened to you twice! I don't know if I could have been as brave as you were in that situation. Well, everything's normal here at the academy: Hobbie always making us laugh, Keira coming up with insightful comments, the usual. We all miss you. Come back soon, and get well! _

_Your close friend,_

_Beyoncé Rodan_

_PS: Did something happen to M. J. on your last mission? She's been acting very strange ever since she's come back, and we don't know what to do about it. She won't tell us, either. If you know something, please tell us! Thanks._

Elena frowned thoughtfully but moved onto the next letter. She knew that she wouldn't tell the truth about what happened on the mission. She just hoped that Mara didn't spill to the Emperor. Sighing in worriment, she picked up another letter, this one from Keira.

_My dear Elena,_

_Are you going to be all right? We are all worried sick about you, so please get better soon. I miss you exceedingly, I need someone with real sense at school. But Beyoncé has been trying to keep up our spirits the best she possibly can. She's doing a fairly good job of it, too. _

_I wish you didn't have so many missions now, you're away more than ever on different assignments, sent by your father, the Emperor, or someone else of high standing. Or did you choose to come on some of these missions? I don't know. I've been on a few adventures (if that's what you want to call them) with my father, mostly on your father's ship, and I was bored out of my mind. I honestly don't know how they stand it. But your missions are probably more exciting. I don't want to get blown up, though.  
_

_Get better soon, we miss you. By the way, is something the matter with Mara? I don't know what's gotten into her! She's different now, but I can't explain it. What happened? If you know more, I'd like to know as well._

_Sincerely,_

_Keira Piett_

Elena sighed. "No, I really can't tell you," she said quietly, more to herself. "Sorry, guys." She moved onto the next letter, but found that she had to give a special code before being allowed to read its contents.

_My daughter,_

_This note is specially coded so that only you can read it. Delete its properties as soon as you have finished reading it. I am proud of you for doing the best you could on your assignment, it was not your fault that the Rebel base moved to another location without your knowledge of where they were going. From Mara Jade's perspective, the amount of Rebels was not worth sending a legion of troops in there, in case you had managed to contact me. Do not worry if you think that you failed, because you did not._

_Mara told me everything that happened during your stay on Dantooine, and I am concerned about your health. Is it a habit of yours to get blown up by the enemy, or is it just one of your favorite pastimes?_

"Oh that's so hilarious," Elena muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes at her father's dry humor.

_I must say I am surprised by what you did for her. Transferring your power to her body, and then bringing her back to life is astounding. No other Jedi or Sith has ever accomplished that feat before, not even the Emperor. But it was of a high cost to yourself, and I do not like that. However, I am proud that you saved her. It was a noble thing to, even if you did not know that you were doing it. _

_But be warned, Elena. This cannot leave our palace walls. You know the consequences.  
_

_ I also do not know how many more times I will be forced to see you in the hospital. I do not enjoy these visits at all.  
_

"You're preaching to the choir," Elena grumbled.

_May the Force guide you back to consciousness, daughter. You are strong in the Force and will return to full health, I am certain. Also your stubbornness and strong will might help as well. _

_Your father,_

_Lord Darth Vader_

Elena shook her head as she read the letter from her father. She mentally pictured her father's real name there instead of his Sith title, but right now she could only dream. "One day..." she said to herself. The next letter was from Mara, and then after that, one from Leia. "Word travels fast," Elena remarked.

_Hey Elena._

_  
I don't really know what to say. I hope you feel better. Force, is that the understatement of the year or what. I'm sorry. I don't know how to go about this, I'm not good at this kind of stuff, you know, confessions and all that rot. I just wanted to say... you were right. I am bitter. But I could never be bitter at you. You're the only one who really... you know... likes me, I guess. Aw Sith, I'm getting all mushy here. _

_Look, before I start to cry again, (yes, I have, more than once, if you must know) I want you to know that I thank you. For everything. You're a real friend. Thanks. _

_Mara Jade_

Elena didn't know what to say, either. "Oh Force..." was all she could muster. Instead of trying to figure that letter out, she decided to move onto Leia's, which was the last one.

_Dearest Elena,_

_Are you all right? Goodness, being blown up twice is certainly not on my list of things to do. I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry. I wish I could come and see you, but my father has me working extra hard in school and politics, so I guess that means you will have to get well and come to visit me as soon as possible. You could come to the Alderaan Academy with me while you are here, I'm sure it would be fine._

_I just want you to know that I'm here for you. You're a good person, Elena. We need you to stay alive. All of us. _

_Sincerely,_

_Leia Organa (S.)_

Elena was confused at the S at the end of Leia's name for a second, and then it hit her. Leia was writing her name as Leia Organa Skywalker. Elena wished she could keep the letter, but because of safety reasons, she knew that she couldn't. She erased her father's and Leia's letters from the datapads, gave a big sigh, and thought for a minute.

_I'm gonna have to figure out a way to transfer my power to other people without nearly killing myself,_ she thought. _I just need more practice._ But Elena knew that would be the hard part. It wasn't like any of her friends were just going to drop dead at any moment for no good reason.

* * *

**Tsk, tsk, tsk. She'll have to learn, I guess. **

**Isolder: Where's Leia?**

**Zim: Shut up.**

**Xizor: Where's Leia?**

**Arie: Shut up.**

**Maul: Where's Lei... wait, who's Leia?**

**Raven: Shut up.**

**Han: (swaggers in) Where's Leia?**

**Pippin: Shut up.**

**Han: Huh?**

**Pippin: Whups! I didn't mean you. **

**Angel: Then who did you mean? **

**(Pippin shrugs) **

**Until next time! Reviews make me happy! Happy people update sooner!! Hey, there's a good idea... May the Force be with you all! **


	9. Transformation

**I Am Me: Dark Angel **

**By Serena Kenobi**

**Rating: T**

**Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews!! Glad to hear from all of you. ALSO!! IMPORTANT!! I've decided that every hero needs to have a weakness, and I couldn't figure out which weakness the Skywalker kids should have. Then, last night, as I was watching Smallville, it dawned on me. The triplets draw most of their power from their emotions, and if they're not very emotional, their powers won't be as strong. I have decided that if their emotions, and their powers, begin to get out of control, they have mental instability and start to turn to the Dark Side. This weakness will start to show itself in later chapters.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I do own Elena. And any other character I make up.**

**Sith: (screaming as they're about to be thrown off a million story building into a pool of bloodthirsty sharks) **

**Arie: And you don't get parachutes, either! Nyah! **

**Palps: I'll just stop my fall using the Dark Side!! HA! **

**Angel: (projects Maul into the air) I guess he won't know who Leia is even if he tries to figure it out. You're so stupid, Maul! (drops him)**

**Maul: WHAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaa... (ker-splash!) **

**Pippin: (laughs) **

**Back to the story! **

* * *

**Chapter 9  
**

Elena was close to being fully well, and the doctor finally gave her leave to go home. Vader had Jenson come and pick her up in a speeder, and they zoomed off for Vader's palace. Elena was relieved to finally be heading back to the palace, though slightly disgruntled when the Sith Lord did not pick her up himself.

"How's Father been since I was in the hospital?" she asked Jenson, glancing at him.

The other shrugged. "All right, I guess," he replied. "I think he's been worried about you, but he has also been extremely busy. The Emperor's just given him a new lead on the Rebels, and he wants him to personally see to it that they are destroyed."

"So that means he isn't home right now," Elena said, disappointed.

Jenson nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry, Elena," he answered, shaking his head. "He's on the _Executor_ heading towards Sullust, I believe. He won't be back for at least two weeks, so he ordered me and Jix to look after you."

Elena scowled. "I don't need looking after, Jenson," she growled, glaring at him, "I'm seventeen and can take very good care of myself."

"Hey, don't kill the messenger!" Jenson cried. "You go and complain to your father about it, I'm sure he'd be more than pleased to hear you go on about being old enough to take care of yourself."

Elena sighed and rubbed her head. "You're right… I'm sorry. I better go and do some of my homework... I have a lot of catching up to do."

Jenson nodded again. "I understand, Elena," he replied, "I'll see you later."

* * *

Trudging off to her room, Elena suddenly got a call on her comlink. She looked at the number and quickly answered it.

"Hello?" she asked, listening eagerly.

"Elena, I'm coming over," Mara answered from the other line. "We need to talk." She then shut off the link, causing Elena to sigh.

"I'm in for it," she muttered, and headed towards the hangar bay. After a few minutes, Mara's speeder entered the bay, and Mara hopped out. She spotted Elena sitting on a ramp to a shuttle and strode over to it, firmly staring at her friend. Without warning, Mara walked past Elena, yanked her off of her feet, and pulled her into the shuttle, closing the hatch behind the two of them.

When inside, Mara let go of Elena, who appeared unfazed at the whole ordeal, and sat down in a seat, putting her head in her hands.

"You've got some serious explaining to do, Skywalker," Mara said, glaring at Elena.

Elena, still with a very nonchalant expression on her face, slowly took a seat across from Mara. "So Dad didn't tell you anything?" she calmly questioned.

Mara snorted and replied, "He told me a bit. But you have to tell me more."

"I'm not sure if I can do that," Elena evenly answered.

Exasperated by her friend's collected demeanor, Mara abruptly stood up and began to pace, glaring at the floor. "To bloody hell with the Emperor, Elena!" she shouted, "I swear on my parent's graves, I won't tell anyone what you've done for me! I'm your best friend, for Force's sake, and I won't betray you!!"

"Let go of your anger, Mara," Elena said, not changing her tone. "I sense much conflict in you. There isn't much I could tell you without completely giving it away. I trust you, it's just I don't trust the Emperor, as I've said before. He could try to get information out of you, and I don't want to put you in that position."

"I know enough already!" Mara cried, annoyed. "What difference does it possibly make?"

Elena fixed her with such a stare that Mara immediately cooled down. "Oh, believe me, M.J., it does."

Mara sighed, plopped down into a seat, and gazed at Elena, wondering what to do next. "Well... I guess you're right," she finally admitted, "I understand your concerns, and I'll let it go."

"Wonderful!" Elena exclaimed, determined to put the whole thing behind her. "Now come on, maybe you can help me with my homework."

But Mara wasn't finished. "Hold on, Elena," she said, taking her friend's arm, "I just want to say thank you. For what you did for me. You saved my life... and I hope I have the chance to do the same for you." She let go of Elena's arm, reddening.

Elena smiled. "Hey, I'm sure you'd have done the same for me," she answered, and patted Mara's arm, leaving the shuttle.

"Yeah, only I don't have special powers," Mara muttered, following her.

"Quite right!" Elena shouted from outside the shuttle, causing Mara to roll her eyes.

* * *

"How about we pick you both up at ten?" Elena said through the three-way comlink. Mara was with her, and the two had decided to get away from their stress filled lives and do something normal teenagers did – shopping.

"Sounds fun!" Keira replied, "I'll be ready in a minute."

"I'll be outside my house," Beyoncé added.

Elena and Mara nodded; Elena then shut off the comlink and headed towards the hangar bay to find a suitable speeder that would fit them all. "When the Sith father's away, the girls will play," she said smugly, hopping into the driver's seat.

"I call shotgun!" Mara yelled, leaping into the passenger seat. She sighed and glanced at Elena, ready to get the other girls. "Well?"

"Mara," Elena spoke up, looking at her incredulously, "If you haven't noticed, there are no other girls here. So there was really no reason at all for you to call shotgun, now was there?"

Mara pursed her lips, thinking. "No, I guess not," she sheepishly answered, "It's a habit I picked up a while back... I'm so used to having to call it before the others do."

"Well, at least there's no worries for me. I always get to drive," Elena continued, smiling slyly.

Mara glared at her, punched her lightly on the arm, and suddenly pulled back, wincing in pain. "Force, Elena," she groaned, "One would think you had a metal skeleton or something." She nursed her injured hand.

Elena reddened, laughed nervously, and quickly brought the speeder out of the hangar bay and zoomed into the Coruscant traffic.

They picked up the two girls and continued on their way to the Coruscant mall, talking about various things. Elena was mostly silent the entire journey, thinking about how she had transferred her power to Mara. She wondered if she could somehow do it again without seriously injuring herself.

* * *

Pacing back and forth, Elena was filled with self-doubt and was torn between different decisions. For the past few days, she had been experimenting with her healing powers. She finally decided that she wanted to test her powers on a very dangerous subject - her father. But should she take the risk of endangering herself again? Risk her life for her father's, or let her father stay the same?

Choices, choices.

Well, she would have some time before he got home, anyways. Now would be a good time to take a rest and talk to her siblings. Maybe they had a good idea of what to do. She raced to her bedroom and closed her eyes, falling asleep soon after.

She entered into the dining room where she found Luke and Leia talking. They both looked up when they saw her.

"Elena, imagine seeing you here," Luke joked, grinning at her.

Leia rolled her eyes and picked at a piece of fruit, but frowned when she saw Elena's troubled expression. "What is it? Something on your mind?"

Elena nodded and replied, "Yes. It's something important."

Luke motioned her to go on.

"Well, since I brought Mara back from the dead, I've been thinking."

Luke leaned in. "Do tell."

Elena sat down and stared down at her hands. "If we can bring people back from the dead, then we're healing them, right?"

Her siblings nodded, slightly confused.

"If we're healing them, then is it possible for us to transfer our powers to them even if they're not dead?"

"You mean, if someone's injured, heal them," Leia answered. "Just transfer the healing power without draining ourselves too much."

"Exactly!" Elena looked at her eagerly. "Don't you see? If I, or we, can heal anyone or anything, is it possible to heal Dad so he won't have to wear the suit anymore? Maybe he could go back to the way he looked before the duel on Mustafar. Maybe I could even heal his limbs so they could be real again!"

Her brother and sister stared at her. "I think that you should try it," Luke stated. "If you do that, maybe he'll loosen up a bit, maybe even start to turn."

"That would be the day," Leia muttered under her breath.

Elena shrugged. "When he comes back, I'll ask him. But what about the Emperor? If he finds out he'll wonder how he got back to the way he was. That means exposing my powers."

"Just make him wear his suit in public and have be himself in private," Leia suggested.

"Good idea, Leigh. Well, I have to go. Things to do, places to see, fathers to heal – see you guys later." She saluted and left the room, entering back into the real world.

Luke glanced at Leia seriously. "You realize what this means if she heals him," he said.

She looked down and nodded slowly. "We have a chance to bring him back."

* * *

It was a few days before Vader came home from the _Executor._ He was eager to see how Elena was getting on and what kind of trouble she had gotten herself into next. Getting into trouble was a Skywalker trait.

When he opened the doors to the sitting area, where he sensed his daughter's presence, he found her lying in an armchair, asleep. He slowly walked over until he was staring down at his daughter.

Elena opened one eye and leapt up quickly, brushing herself off. Suddenly her vision went black, and she swayed slightly. Vader put out an arm to help steady her.

"Whoa…" Elena remarked, "That's what you get for standing up too quickly."

"Indeed," Vader replied, a bit amused.

Her face tightened for a moment. "Uh… Dad," she began, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"We are talking right now," Vader replied dryly.

Elena shook her head, irritated. "Can we talk in your room? There's something I need to tell you."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Vader asked, stiffening. Elena narrowed her eyes.

"No," she said in annoyance, "Why is it that everyone asks me that?" Shaking her head, she continued: "Can we please just go?"

Vader followed her into his private room, where he had his space filled with pure oxygen for when he didn't have his mask on. Elena took a seat in a chair, and Vader reluctantly did the same, sitting down in front of her.

"What is this all about?" He asked her.

She fidgeted for a moment. "It's kind of hard to explain," she began, and slowly stared into his visors. Finally, after a pause, where there was no noise other than Vader's breathing, she continued. "There… there's something I need to do," she stammered nervously.

"What is it?"

Elena looked down. "Well, it's…" she glanced up again and sighed shortly. "I'm going to try and heal you," she blurted out.

He stared at her. "What?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I want to try and heal you," she continued.

"Elena, I've tried it many times, but nothing will heal my damaged tissue and lungs," Vader told her.

"Just… let me," she said quietly. He said nothing, and she took it to be a silent consent. Lifting both of her hands up, she brought them up to either side of his mask. He didn't make any move to leave, so she finally touched each side of his masked face lightly. Closing her eyes, she concentrated hard.

Before she or Vader knew what was happening, his breathing became more hoarse, and it quickened rapidly. He began coughing, and as Elena opened her eyes and pulled her hands away, he clawed at the mask, ripping it off as he engulfed his lungs with air. He gulped and breathed shortly, taking in everything around him.

Elena brought her hands back down to her lap, staring at her father. As Vader looked around the room, his eyes finally rested on his daughter. And clear blue eyes gazed into hers. In turn, her eyes welled up with tears as she stared at her father for the first time, unmasked.

Anakin pulled off his neck piece, tossing it onto the ground. He looked down at the thing distastefully and back at Elena. "I… I don't believe it," he eventually whispered hoarsely. "It's... it's amazing…" he took off his gloves and flexed his real, flesh hands. He then reached up and ran a hand through his curly dark blonde hair. He looked exactly as he had before Mustafar… only no scars whatsoever; and he had his real hands, arms, and legs.

Elena slowly smiled tearfully and managed to get out, "Hi Dad. It's really you… face to face."

Anakin nodded slowly, a small smile forming on his handsome face. "Thank you, Elena," he said quietly.

* * *

**That was a bit of a surprise, wasn't it? I hope you liked it, but I won't know unless I get reviews!!! MtFbwy, everyone!!**

**Oh yeah, I've redone a lot of my website. I've created some cool SW wallpapers, made a new site banner, and other stuff. So check it out if you like. **

**- Serena Kenobi**


	10. The Truth

**I Am Me: Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**Author's Notes: Once again, thanks so much to my reviewers!! PippinBaggins in particular, for she has placed Elena, Keira, Bece, and Mara in her fantastic mutant Jedi story "Spectre." I HIGHLY encourage everyone who likes this series to check out her story, it's really, really good!! A different take on the mutant Jedi theme, and it's wonderful. Go read it if you like this! Oh, and Pippin, it's funny you should say something about Padme and the bounty hunter thing in this story... I actually had planned it something like that, lol! I don't think it'll be like that, but maybe something similar. We'll see..**

**ALSO!! Super Tinfoil Man Part 2 (welcome back!!!) asked me which power Elena used to heal her father. Well, it's kind of a combination of telepathic power, plus using Wolverine's healing powers, and Rouge's, to mush them all together. But instead of taking powers from someone else, Elena's tranferring her powers, i. e. healing, to someone else. Hope that clears it up. **

**Disclaimer: Any time Lucas wants to borrow Elena, he can ask me first. All the rest is his. I also don't own Darcy aka Spectre. I don't know when I'll mention him in the story, but I know I will. He is owned by PIPPIN BAGGINS!!!  
**

* * *

**  
Angel: (looks on as the Sith flounder around in the water and smirks) Well, I'm feeling better after doing that!**

**Arie: If they survive this ordeal, I'm gonna pour nail polish and shampoo into their eyes. **

**(Sith manage to get out of the water) **

**Arie: THAT'S IT!! I'm goin' in, people!! **

**Pippin: Have fun! (waves) **

**Back to the real story! **

* * *

**Chapter 10 **

"We will have to keep this from the Emperor," Anakin said sternly, "If he finds out, the results could be disastrous."

Elena nodded as they walked swiftly down a corridor. "You'll have to wear your suit out in public still… and when you pass anyone else, too. We can't risk anyone else seeing you without it on."

Anakin shook his head. "Shame," he remarked remorsefully. "I hate that blasted suit. It takes so long to get in and out of."

Elena gave him a sideways glance. "I think I might be able to help you with that," she spoke up. "I could try and create a device that would morph you from your normal self back into your suit in seconds, and vice versa."

"How would you do that?" Anakin questioned. He was garbed in all black, but his frame was slightly smaller without the bulky suit.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Well, if I could somehow transfer some of my power into a small device, it would morph you back. I can't really explain it, so bear with me."

"I'll try," Anakin replied, mouth twitching upwards. "Though I doubt I'll ever understand how you came to be able to copy comic book hero's powers… when no other Jedi or Sith, or any person, ever has before."

Elena shrugged. "Well, I guess I'm a one of a kind person, then," she lied. "I suppose it's because you were created purely by the Force... I think that has something to do with it."

Anakin nodded in agreement. "It would make sense."

When they reached a control room, Anakin instantly got back to work on a report, but reveled in the feeling of clean air against his face. He absently ran his hands through his hair again, noticing that Elena was grinning up to her ears. He cleared his throat. "What?" he asked, trying to regain some dignity.

She shook her head slightly. "For almost four years I never saw your face or heard your real voice… and now…" It was too much, and she broke down in tears, trying desperately to muffle some of the sobs with a hand. She turned around, ashamed of her behavior.

Anakin stared at her for a minute, unsure of what to do. He had not actually touched someone in over seventeen years. Slowly, he walked over to her, and cautiously put an arm around her. "It's going to be okay," he said quietly.

Elena didn't reply but wrapped her arms around him, crying into his shirt. He then put another arm up and began stroking her hair, trying to comfort her. It was a non-Sith moment for Vader. At that second, he wasn't a Sith. He wasn't the second to the Emperor. He wasn't a commander of Imperial forces, either.

He was just a father.

Eventually Elena released herself from him, wiping her eyes. "Sorry about that breakdown," she whispered.

"It was understandable," Anakin calmly replied, gathering himself back together. "Come, I think it is time that you went to bed."

She nodded and left the room.

* * *

The next morning, Elena used her powers to create the device she had been talking about. It had been tricky and slightly painful, and it involved a blood sample, but it was worth it. As Vader went to his room, he found it with a note on a datapad that read:

_This is the device. I strongly suggest you wear it at all times. You only need to press this button here, and you will change into the form that you're not in at present. It will only take you a few seconds. Put it on your wrist, so it will be easy to access. Good luck, and mtFbwy._

_Elena_

Vader stared at the last sentence. What did that mean? It was rather odd, but he figured that it was probably some random teenager good luck sentence or something. He took the device, attached it to his wrist, and pressed the button. He immediately morphed back into his non-suit clad self. Staring at himself in the mirror, he thanked the Force that he had a daughter who could do something like that.

_A son would have been nice, too,_ he thought absently.

* * *

A few weeks passed. Things went as normal as they usually did… except for Elena and Vader. Since Vader… or Anakin, as Elena preferred to think of him when not wearing the suit, was beginning to feel more comfortable with his revived appearance, he would join Elena in a private living room that housed a holoproj, some hologames, and other entertainment things. It became their hideaway when Anakin didn't have the suit on.

Elena was beginning to have some real hope that Vader would turn back to the Light Side. There were still days, however, when she saw on the holo-news reports of Vader capturing Rebels, or when she heard from Captain Piett that he had Force-choked another officer who didn't meet his standards. When that would happen, she would become a bit depressed, but still didn't lose hope.

She had to stay strong. Not only for herself, but also for the rest of her family. She couldn't afford to have a mental breakdown.

On one occasion, around three weeks after Elena had healed Vader; she was dueling with Luke and Leia and talking to them about the situation.

"I know he's not fully changed, and he still kills people, but there's got to be some hope, right? Ah, nice block bro," she grunted, clashing lightsabers with her brother.

Luke nodded, pulling back to gather some power. "This is such a good sign," he replied, "I think we still have hope with him… trust the Force and our own instincts, and we're good."

Leia spoke up suddenly, "It's odd. I never thought of Vader… or Anakin, as being such a young man like that."

"So you got the holo images I sent you?" Elena asked, flipping in the air.

Leia nodded. "Yeah. They're in one of my secret files. I also got the ones you have of Mother. Thanks, it means a lot to me."

"No problem."

"Of course, I never pictured him as my father." Leia shook her head absently.

"And what do you think now?" Elena said, swinging around, "Do you acknowledge him as your father now?"

Slowly, Leia began to nod. "I will not deny it," she replied quietly. "I have searched my feelings and know it's true. Even if he's still a Sith Lord, I guess he still deserves a second chance. Maybe."

Luke and Elena knew firsthand how hard it must have been for Leia to admit that openly, and they paused, feeling both love and pride towards their sister.

However, without warning, right in front of Elena, appeared Mara Jade. Elena halted in mid strike and stared at her friend, who was blinking, stunned, and disoriented. She frantically turned around to see her surroundings, mouth open.

Leia and Luke were also staring at the Emperor's Hand, and it was a few seconds before Mara actually noticed them.

"What… what in Vader's blasted name is going on here?" Mara shrieked wildly, green eyes flashing.

"That's almost exactly what I said," Leia muttered, both annoyed and confused at the sudden appearance of Mara. She then sighed shortly, rubbing her forehead. "Mara, I know this is a bit of a shock, but you need to calm down, okay?" Her politician instincts began to kick in.

"What is _she_ doing _here_?" Elena grumbled, "Now she'll know what's going on, I and _really_ didn't want that to happen..."

Luke, on the other hand, was gazing at Mara, unabashed. "Who is she?" he asked, completely in awe. "She's beautiful!"

Elena rolled her eyes. "I've told you about her before… she's my best friend from back home..."

Mara turned to them, still in complete distress. "Elena, what is going on, where am I, and who is _he_?" she pointed at Luke, glaring at the both of them heatedly.

Elena groaned and began, "Mara, I need to know if I can trust you to keep a secret."

"What makes you think I'm not trustworthy?" Mara shot back, "You're like a sister to me, and you know it. I won't tell anyone; just tell me what's going on! You had better tell me everything right now, or so help me I'll… I'll…"

Luke raised an eyebrow, amused. "You'll _what_?"

Mara shot him an evil look. It didn't faze him.

Elena opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "All right. You want to know what's going on? You really do? Well, _fine_! You're in a Force vision, and this is my _sister,_ Leia and my _brother,_ Luke. We're triplets, and we're all helping each other to learn about the ways of the Force. _Satisfied_?" She shouted, suddenly raising her voice.

Mara took a step back, startled. Luke and Leia were also surprised at Elena's sudden irate behavior.

"Elena..." Luke started, "Remember, there is no passion, there is serenity..."

"Yeah, yeah," Elena interrupted, "There is no death, there is the Force. I just needed to do that."

Mara eyed Luke. "Where are you from?" she asked stiffly.

Luke glanced at Elena for conformation, and the youngest Skywalker nodded, defeated. "The planet that is farthest from the center of the galaxy," he replied dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "My uncle runs a moisture farm."

"Farmboy, huh?" Mara said, raising an eyebrow.

Luke clenched his teeth. "Sort of," he retorted tightly. "Why? You have a problem with them?"

"No, just asking," Mara returned. "Are you older than Elena?"

"As Elena just said, we're triplets," Leia added. "Luke came first, then me, then Elena. Listen, you're not going to tell anyone, right, Mara?"

Mara nodded slowly, still staring at Luke suspiciously. "No. Does your father know about all this? Wait, do you two even know who your father _is_?" she demanded, glaring at Luke.

"Yes," Luke snapped. "We know. We're not as ignorant as you seem to think."

_Peas in a pod_, Elena thought to herself, smirking. _This could work out better than I had thought._ "So Mara, why don't you tell Luke a little bit more about yourself?"

"Why should I?" the red-haired assassin sniffed.

Elena rolled her eyes and shoved her towards a chair. "Don't get that attitude with me, Mara Jade, cause it's not going to work. Come on, let's all sit down and talk like civilized human beings."

The others took a seat on the patio and began to chat. Luke and Mara argued quite a bit. In fact, the only they were doing was fighting with one another. Leia and Elena gave each other looks as the assassin and the Farmboy continued in their heated discussion.

"What would you know about hyperdrives?" Mara shouted, "You're just a Farmboy living who knows where!"

"I know a lot, thank you very much," Luke shot back in annoyance, "I've spent lots of time working on ships, and I get my piloting skills from my father."

Mara just rolled her eyes and snorted. "Sure, Skywalker."

"I have a name, you know, Jade," Luke retorted, glaring at her. "Why don't you use it."

"Maybe I don't feel like it," she answered.

Elena sighed. "Hey, I have an idea," she spoke up suddenly, wanting to stop the argument. "You two should spar. See what each other's weaknesses and strengths are. I'm guessing we're going to be meeting quite frequently from now on."

Mara and Luke glanced at one another before shrugging.

"Fine with me," Luke said evenly, standing up and drawing out his lightsaber.

"You're on, Skywalker," Mara muttered, igniting her purple blade. The two circled each other for a moment before their lightsabers clashed. Mara leapt out at Luke, driving him back for a minute before he began to take control. Their skills in dueling were about even, but Luke had a much greater Force presence. Using his metal power, he suddenly wrenched the lightsaber out of Mara's hand and brought it into his own. She stared at him.

"How did you…." She began.

Luke turned to Elena. "I'm realizing that you didn't tell Miss Assassin here about our powers before, did you?" he accused.

Elena shuffled her feet and mumbled, "Well, it was for our own safety," she grumbled. "I didn't know if I could trust her or not."

Mara narrowed her eyes and took a menacing step towards Elena. "Is this is about your crazy healing powers that you _refuse _to tell me about?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"_Just_ healing powers?" Leia quipped, observing her lightsabers carefully.

Mara was confused. "What are you talking about?" she wondered, bewildered.

"Look, we can also copy comic book superhero's powers," Elena added, knowing that it was useless to keep the powers a secret anymore. Showing off one of her powers, she ignited her hand, and it burst into flame. Mara's jaw dropped as she stared, wide-eyed.

"Oh Force," she stammered, stepping back. " But… but… how can you do that!" she exclaimed.

Elena shrugged and turned her hand icy, the hand crackling as she balled it into a fist and stretched it back out. "We don't know, but we're the only ones who can do it," she continued. "Sith lightning can't even hurt us. Watch. Luke, if you please."

Luke nodded and struck her with a huge blast of lightning, using Dr. Doom's powers. It just ran up and down her body, dissipating into tiny electrical currents.

Elena simply smiled and watched as the currents ran up and down her hand. "Can't fight lightning with lightning," she grinned.

Mara merely stared, in complete shock, while Leia and Luke chuckled.

"Bravo," Leia remarked, taking a sip of water.

Mara was silent for a moment. "This secret is very important, isn't it," she stated slowly.

"You bet your life," Luke replied gravely. "If anyone finds out about me or Leia, it's pretty much over for us."

"But you're more powerful than the Emperor," Mara protested, "Why are all of you afraid of being discovered?"

The triplets were silent.

Leia finally spoke, "Because if we don't control our emotions, we could be turned to the Dark Side. Look what happened to our father, and he's not even a mutant. We can't take that risk right now. Plus, the Emperor could kill off all our families, labeling them as traitors."

Mara glanced to the others. "I understand. But now that I know your secret, no more lies, got it?"

Luke fought to maintain his patience. "Mara Jade, this secret shouldn't be taken lightly."

"Don't get all high and mighty on me, Farmboy," she rejoined, whirling around and sitting back down. Luke's self-satisfied grin continued to stay on his face as he leaned against a short rock wall.

Leia gave Elena a sideways glance, and her sister just rolled her eyes.

"I think all of us are going to get along pretty well," Leia remarked. Elena nodded agreeably, but Mara just glared at Luke, who continued to smirk at her.

"Welcome to the Skywalker family, Mara," Leia said, smiling and sticking out her hand.

Mara raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing?" she questioned.

"Both," Luke cut in. Mara decidedly ignored him and shook Leia's hand firmly.

Elena glanced out at the large mountains in the distance, feeling a change in the balance of the Force.

Things were certainly getting interesting.

* * *

**I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter. Won't know unless you review, hint, hint!! Thanks for reading! **

**MtFbwy! **

**Serena Kenobi**


	11. The Crush

**I Am Me: Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**Author's Notes: MANY, MANY thanks to all of my reviewers!! You all rock!! Oh, and Super Tinfoil Man, don't worry. The Skywalker triplets won't have it easy. A new Sith Lord or Lady (maybe both) will be entering the picture later.. bwa ha ha! Plus, they're still in danger of turning DSish. So they're not really all powerful. Just close, lol! Thanks, everyone, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Sorry, no Torturing Sith Lords in this chapter!! But I do have an updated website, so feel free to check it out and tell me what you think.  
**

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I didn't own Star Wars. (Checks again) Nope, still don't own it. Don't own X-Men, Fantastic Four, or any Marvel Superheros, either. ALSO! I do not own Darcy aka Spectre. This brilliant character is owned by none other than the fabulous PIPPIN BAGGINS!!**

**Oh, for everyone who's read 'Spectre', this takes place before Darcy stows away in Elena's speeder. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go read it.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Elena found Jix typing up a report on a datapad in one of the _Executor _briefing rooms, and she leaned over his shoulder to see what exactly it was that he was writing. Jix stopped what he was doing for a split second, shot her a quick glance, and resumed his typing.

Elena raised her eyebrows. "Something wrong, Jix?"

The Imperial agent shook his head slowly. "No, nothing," was the curt reply.

Frowning, Elena drew back and studied him. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded. "You've been avoiding me for the past week, and without any explanation whatsoever, you just decide to be a complete nerf-herder towards me. What is it with you? Stang, Jix," she snapped, making her way around the large table.

Jix had been looking at her carefully as she made her heated assertion, but didn't speak. After locking gazes with her, he hurriedly dropped his eyes back to his work and continued typing.

Elena huffed in irritation and threw her hands up in the air. "I give up," she declared. "If you want to act like a Hutt, then be my guest." She turned her back on him and stormed out of the room, fingers crackling as she drew her hands into tight fists.

Jix glanced up at her as she left, placed his datapad down on the table carefully, and rubbed his head, taking in and letting out a deep breath. He stared at the door for a while in deep thought.

* * *

_**Inside Vader's Chambers**_

"Jix's such an idiot," Elena fumed to her father.

Vader looked up from his work. "Excuse me?"

"I just don't get what his problem is," Elena continued on, practically ignoring him, "One day he's his normal self, the next, he's acting like he hates me. I – I just can't take it anymore!" She threw down a datapad and groaned when she saw that she had made an indent on the side of the device.

Vader merely raised an eyebrow, staring at the disfigured datapad with mild fascination, and looked at Elena as she grabbed it and tried to bend it back to its original form. She had no such luck, however, and threw it down again, banging her head on the table.

Because of that action, the innocent table, unfortunately, now had a head-shaped dent in it as well.

"Please try not to ruin everything you come in contact with, Elena," Vader spoke calmly. "The datapad and the table have done nothing to you."

Elena brought her head up and eyed where she had banged her head. "Perfect," she muttered, and miserably flopped back in her chair. "Why do I even bother to exist," she moaned pathetically.

Vader rolled his eyes underneath his mask and tried to ignore her. "Typical teenager," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that."

"Good. It should teach you to stop this ridiculous moping and act like an adult!" Vader boomed, breathing becoming louder than normal.

Elena shot him an evil look and telepathically brought another datapad up to her so she could read it without having to touch it. Continuing to use her telepathy, she telekinetically scrolled down the essay. After she had finished with the data, which only took about thirty seconds, she telekinetically tossed the datapad over her shoulder and started on another.

Vader watched her, both impressed and slightly concerned, as she did so, and finally remarked, "Your telepathic powers are growing."

"Good thing or bad thing?" Elena questioned rather monotonously.

His temper starting to rise, Vader answered, "Both. Now I've had enough of this. You will either talk to Jixton and work out this pointless feud, or I will reassign you or him to another mission. Understood?"

Elena sullenly nodded, stood up, and left the room. Vader shook his head, wondering if this behavior was natural, or if she was overly stressed.

Probably both.

* * *

"Jix? Jix?" Elena banged her palm on the door, but not overly hard, for fear of making a dent in it. "JIX! Come on, we need to talk." She paused, listening for any sign of life on the other side of the door.

Getting none, she started to bang slightly harder, earning some odd looks from passing by officers. "Jix, would you just open up?"

Still nothing.

"That's it," Elena growled, and raised her hand to bang harder, but as she was bringing the palm down, the door opened, and she stumbled forward… right into Jix, who caught her. "Force, I've been doing this for at least five minutes," she fumed, staring up at him.

Jix shrugged. "Sorry, I was taking a shower." He lifted her back up, but kept his hands at her waist. She glanced down at them, and he awkwardly let go, his hands falling to his sides limply.

"I, uh, I can see that." Elena blushed, averting her eyes from Jix's bare chest. "I'll just, um, come back later." She hurriedly strode away from him.

Jix shook his head and shut the door behind him.

* * *

It was a few days after the embarrassing incident with Jix, and he, Elena, and Vader had arrived back on Coruscant. Vader had immediately gone off to see to some new officers Tarkin had promoted, and Elena and Jix were left to themselves for a while in the palace.

But not for long.

Jix, strolling down the corridor, began to hear multiple voices up ahead. Normally, it wouldn't bother him, but these were female voices. _Raised, angry_ female voices. He picked up his pace and glanced around the corner to see whom it was that was speaking. It was Elena conversing animatedly with two other girls, presumably high school acquaintances. He didn't know either of them but decided to listen in on the conversation for a second anyway.

"I told you, I barely know the guy," Elena was telling them, "Why don't you believe me?"

"Because you're a deceitful little rat who would do something like that," one of the other girls was saying. She had fairly long dark brown hair and was very pretty to look at. However, Jix instantly cringed at her ferocious reply.

"I wouldn't cheat with him on you, Cassie," Elena protested, obviously unfazed by the rude remarks, "I'm not that kind of person. I don't even _like_ Brent, for Force's sake!"

"So you say," the second girl cut in. She had light brown hair with blonde streaks, but her eyes were cold. "Admit it, Skywalker. You're jealous of us because you're not popular and we are. You don't have a boyfriend and we do."

That did it for Jix. He rounded the corner, intent on giving those little twerps a piece of his mind. The girls saw him coming and instantly stopped their talking. "All right, get out of here," he snapped, enraged, "I will not, and I repeat, _not_ have you talking to the Princess that way. And if I ever see either of you here again without permission, I'll tell Lord Vader myself. Am I clear?"

Cassie sniffed. "Fine. Come on, Ponda." She motioned to her friend, and the two strode off.

Elena glared at them as they left and turned to Jix. "Thanks," she smiled gratefully, "I was about to rip their bratty little heads off."

Jix shook his head. "No problem." The two started wandering down the hallway in a comfortable silence. "Look," Jix began, "I'm sorry for acting so horribly towards you before. It wasn't fair of me, and I had no excuse."

Elena nodded and replied, "No, it wasn't, but thanks for apologizing. I appreciate it."

As the two turned down another passage, Jix went on, "So, how come you don't have a boyfriend?"

Elena stopped. "Well," she hesitantly began, "I guess I haven't found the right guy yet." She gave him a sideways look. "But you asked me that before, I think. Maybe in a different context, but it was the same idea."

Jix was silent for a moment. "Elena…" he began, "You're a very special, unique girl, and any guy would be lucky to have you."

Elena reddened and looked down. "Aw, thanks, Jix, but you don't have to say that. It's okay, I'm sure the right person will come along someday." She smiled.

Jix faintly returned the gesture, but frowned, glancing down. "Er, Elena," he hesitantly went on, "I hope you know just how much I value you and your friendship. I mean, I don't usually have girl friends."

Elena nodded. "Of course I do," was the reply.

"And," Jix's face began to turn red, "I, uh, I've had sort of a, um…"

Elena leaned forward, knowing exactly what he was about to say. "Yes?"

"I've had a bit of a crush on you," he blurted out, not daring to look her in the eyes. "I, uh, sometimes wondered if we could ever be together. Ridiculous, right?" he muttered.

Elena sighed. "Jix," she spoke more quietly, "I love you as a friend, and yes, I admit, I have had a crush on you from time to time, but…" she trailed off, gazing up at him, "This won't work. I'm not the right girl for you. We can't be together, and I think we both know that."

Jix sighed. "You're right, as usual." He reached up and touched her cheek. "I've always loved you, Elena," he stated. "And I always will. I hope you know that."

She nodded. "Of course. You've been one of the biggest impacts on my life, Jix, and I don't want to lose your friendship."

"You won't." He turned and started to walk away. "Oh, and Skyler? Don't tell your father I said anything, okay?"

Elena shook her head. "I won't."

Jix nodded and turned to disappear down the corridor.

Vader's daughter stared after him, a small smile on her face, before she turned in the opposite direction and disappeared through a wall.

* * *

_**Outside the Imperial Academy**_

Keira, Becé, Mara, and Elena were sitting together on the Academy grounds. Becé was having boy trouble, Keira was studying for a test, and Mara and Elena were just trying to help them out.

"So should I go out with him or what?" Becé asked, whining.

"Just shut up and do us all a favor," Keira muttered under her breath. Her answer was met by a slap upside her head. "OW…." She glared at Mara, who merely grinned.

"You must do what you think is right, of course," Elena added reasonably, shrugging.

Becé rolled her eyes. "Real helpful, Elena," she sarcastically shot back, snapping her book shut.

A sudden clearing of a throat next to them interrupted the girls' discussion. They turned to see Darcy, a friend albeit shy young man, standing there, books in hand. He had recently come to the Academy, and he had become acquainted with the girls. Elena knew him better than the others did; she knew that he was Force-sensitive. However, he didn't know that she knew yet.

"Hey, Darce," Elena greeted cheerfully, nodding at him.

"Want to sit with us?" Keira asked. "That is, if you don't mind hearing Beyoncé complain about boy trouble."

Becé glared at her friend, embarrassed. "Shut it, Keira," she growled ferociously, black eyes flashing.

Darcy looked a bit uncomfortable. "Uh, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked, shifting from one foot to the next.

"They do this all the time," Elena said airily, "Just ignore them. Here," she sat up and pushed her books aside, "You can sit here."

Darcy did so, some of his dark chestnut hair falling into his face. "Thanks," he replied.

"Oh," Mara began, "Is it okay if I come home with you, Elena? I need some help on how to fix a dead hyperdrive connector."

Elena frowned. "Oh, yours is out again?" she inquired sympathetically.

"Yeah," the other nodded.

"Sure then," Elena answered.

Keira suddenly looked up at Elena, and an evil smile crept onto her face. "Is Jix going to be there?" She teased.

Elena shot her a glare. "How should I know?" She returned.

Keira shrugged innocently. "Oh, I don't know. You seem to like him quite a bit."

Elena shot her an evil glare. "We're strictly friends. And yes, maybe I _did _have a small thing for him a while back, but now I don't."

"Sure…" Keira grinned. Darcy began to chuckle softly, drawing the looks of the girls.

"What's so funny, Darce?" Becé wondered, tilting her head to one side and staring up at him.

Darcy shook his head. "All of you. You're so… un-Imperialistic. It's, uh, complicated." He reddened. "I've just met some Imperials who aren't, well, like you guys."

"A lot of Imperials are rotten people who deserve to be shot," Elena spoke up coolly, earning an astonished look from Darcy; "But it's not like I can do anything about it."

"But," Darcy began, "You're the daughter of Darth Vader. You can do anything you want. And aren't you an Imperial royal? A Princess, actually?"

"Not exactly, I have my limits. Just because Vader's my father doesn't mean that he's the one solely in charge." Elena gave him a look, and he nodded thoughtfully, obviously digesting this new information.

"Guys!" Becé whined, drawing their attention back to her. The three girls stared at her.

"_WHAT?_"

* * *

After school had ended, the girls said their goodbyes to Darcy and decided to do a little shopping, which strangely enough, landed them back in the bookstore, where they headed for the comic books.

"Johnny Storm is wizard!" Becé gushed, glancing at a page where he was completely enflamed.

"Well I think Lady Deathstrike is amazing," Keira added in her usual Coruscanti accent, "Logan's the sexiest, of course." She flipped through an X-Men comic book.

Mara happened to be standing next to Elena, and she glanced down for a second at her friend's hands. She did a double take and stared.

Elena's fingernails were eerily silver. They shone unnaturally, not appearing to be normal. Mara frowned, looked back to the comic book, and back to Elena's hands. Realization hit her.

"Oh Force!" she exclaimed. "The adamantium claws!"

The other girls stared at her strangely. "Yes… and?" Keira asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's just…" Mara trailed off, staring at Elena, who was trying to hold back a grin.

"Rouge can also fly," Elena added. Mara's green eyes flashed in amusement and enthusiasm. "Oh, and Sue Storm can turn completely invisible or make other things invisible, too. She can also create powerful forcefields. Silver Surfer can travel through space, and he's practically indestructible. His metallic coating over his body, and his surfboard, make him so."

"Incredible…" Mara trailed off.

"Don't forget Multiple Man," Elena continued, enjoying the conversation immensely, "He can make copies of himself that can act independently."

"I can't believe it," Mara went on, staring at her with wide eyes.

Becé and Keira continued to stare at her, wondering why the Emperor's Hand was acting so odd.

* * *

**I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter. If you review, I'll update more quickly! **

**To PippinBaggins: I hope I did Darcy credit and portrayed him well. Let me know how I did! **

**Everyone else: Go read PippinBaggin's story 'Spectre'! I know that if you enjoy this story, you'll enjoy 'Spectre' as well! **

**MtFbwy,**

**- Serena Kenobi**


	12. Wings

** Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**Author's Notes: _Once again, I thank you for your extremely wonderful reviews!! Without your support, this story would not be what it is today. _**

_**No Torturing Sith Lords in this chapter again, sorry. I also think it was taking away from the story, and I think that I need to focus more on the plot and characters. I may have a few snippets here and there, but otherwise, I will probably stop eventually. **_

_**Another thing. Someone mentioned that they liked the Jix/Elena relationship. Well, I have to admit, I do as well. However, I have another plan for Elena, even though I think that the two make a great pair. Hmm... well, we'll see how things transpire. Maybe I'll throw some Jix/Elena mush in there somewhere...  
**_

_**Enough of my ramblings.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor ever will, own Star Wars. I do, however, own Elena. Lucky me!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 12  
** The girls parted ways, Mara and Elena to Vader's palace, and Keira and Becé going home. As the Emperor's Hand and the Imperial Princess drove in the speeder, Mara hounded Elena with questions about Luke and Leia. 

"So, how long have you known that you had a brother and sister?" she asked.

"A while now. For about three years, I guess," Elena answered.

"When did they know?"

"Luke, I told him as soon as I met him; Leia, not too long ago."

"How did Skywalker take it?"

Elena sighed, flexing her hands on the wheel. "_Luke_ took it fine," she replied. "A little shocked at first, but who wouldn't be if you just learned that your father was one of the most powerful and dangerous people in the galaxy?"

Mara shrugged. "I don't know, I'd probably feel the same way," she said. "But what would a Farmboy know about anything?"

"M.J.," Elena said, "if you're going to be my best friend, you have to get along with my brother. True, he _can_ be incredibly annoying sometimes - and I'd know that firsthand - but he is a very experienced Force user. Trust me, he knows what he's doing. He's a smart young man."

Her friend just sat there sullenly, and Elena gave her a sideways glance, a grin forming. "I think you like him," she remarked, smirking when she saw the look on Mara's face.

"What? No I don't!" Mara defended herself. "I've only just met the guy… of course I don't like him! He's, well, he's arrogant, rude, irritating–"

"Whatever you say, Mara dearest," Elena replied airily, knowing that her friend was lying.

Mara shot her a glare. "Speaking of boys, why don't you tell me what happened with Jix? You were saying something about it at the Academy."

Elena's face turned a bright red. "Well," she started hesitantly, "He sort of… told me that he had a crush on me."

The Emperor's Hand gaped at her friend. "You're kidding."

"Not by a long shot," Elena replied dryly.

"Then what happened?" her eager friend demanded, leaning forward.

Elena sighed and said, "I told him we can't be together, because we can't. We're not meant for each other, Mara, and both he and I know that. I hope I didn't disappoint him too much, cause I don't want to damage our friendship."

Her friend's reply startled her completely. Mara quickly raised a hand and slapped her on the back of her head. Hard.

"Ow! What the heck, Mara!" Elena said, rubbing her head.

"What's wrong with you?" Mara demanded.

"What?"

"I said, what's wrong with you? The guy obviously is head over heels in love with you and you go ahead and break his heart!" Mara said vehemently.

"I didn't break– "

"Did he tell you that he loves you?"

Elena blushed. "Er…"

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Mara, come on. We're so… different."

Mara snorted. "Yeah, sure. Here, let me paint a picture of your life and his. You're the young, beautiful daughter of a powerful Lord, and he is Lord's top secret agent. Said agent falls in love with beautiful daughter of Lord but can't get her because he feels he's not good enough for her. Then, when he finally tells her, beautiful daughter just wants to be 'friends'."

"Mara, it's more complicated than that. I will admit," Elena shifted in her seat, obviously uncomfortable with the subject at hand, "that I've had a crush on him for a long time, but we're… from different worlds. Plus, it would be awkward, him working for Dad and all."

Mara sat back in her seat thoughtfully. "I'm sure you did what you thought was best, of course," she stated mockingly.

"Oh shut up," Elena scowled.

When they arrived at the palace, they brought their backpacks in and headed towards the room in which Elena and Anakin usually spent most of their evenings.

_Father, we're back and I've brought Mara with me_, Elena sent to her father, who was at that moment in a meeting.

_Very well,_ he replied.

_Oh, she knows about my powers, so you might as well show your real self,_ Elena continued nervously, wondering what her father's reaction would be.

There was a pause before he answered gravely,_ I knew it wouldn't be long before she knew; she's smart and clever. Sometimes too much for her own good. I think, however, we can trust her with this information._

_Yes, I know we can. When will your meeting be over?_

_When I strangle Admiral Motti,_ he retorted dryly. Elena couldn't help but sigh.

_Fine then, but try not to lose your temper._ _See you soon._ The link then ended as the girls entered the room.

They dropped their backpacks on the floor and opened them up, finishing up their homework.

"So the Jedi betrayed the Senate and tried to assassinate the almighty and ever-glorious Emperor," Elena said in a sarcastic tone. "I've heard that story one too many times."

Mara studied her. "You don't seem like you believe it, Elena."

"I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because I know exactly what happened."

"Oh, really?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah. I had a Force vision. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it's the truth."

"I'm not laughing," Mara said in a serious tone.

Elena shrugged. "I'll talk about it later. You want to try out the latest holo simulation I have?" Eager to get off the subject, she threw down the history datapad and winced when it cracked. "Dad blast it! That's the third time this week," she complained, staring at the now sizzling datapad.

Mara shot her friend an amused glance. "I see. Well, in any case, I've been waiting for ages for the newest version to come out." She looked at Elena's fingernails. "When they come out… does it hurt?" she asked hesitantly.

Elena studied her hands. "Sometimes," she said quietly. "But most of the time I just don't notice them anymore."

"Can I see them?" Mara asked, a bit uncertain.

"All right," Elena responded, and slowly drew her claws out, holding them up for Mara to see. The adamantium shone in the light; and Mara stared at them, transfixed. She reached out to touch one, and cut her hand, pulling back.

"Force," she cried, "Those are sharp!"

Elena grinned. "That's why they're called claws," she reminded her friend, putting her claws back in. "Now come on, let's bring the sim into the training room."

"Do you have wings like Angel?"

"Yes."

"Can I see those, too?"

"I don't see why not." Elena stood up and morphed her back so her wings would appear. She opened them and flapped them slowly, showing them off in front of Mara. "Angel also has his own kind of healing power," she continued, "It's his bloodstream or something. He also can fly up to over 150 miles per hour at top speed, and can fly for almost an entire day without stopping. But I can fly without wings, too. By either Silver Surfer's powers, or Storm's, or Rouge's, or the Human Torch's. Actually, there are a lot more people who can fly, I just can't think of them right now." She then morphed back into her wingless self.

Mara shook her head. "You are one unique person, Elena," she managed to get out.

"I know," Elena replied, smiling. She telekinetically called the sim to her and walked out of the room.

Mara rolled her eyes and followed her. They entered the training room, where Elena popped the chip into the holoproj; and the two began the simulation. Soon, they were drawn in a heated battle, when unexpectedly, the doors opened.

"Oh, hello, Dad," Elena said nonchalantly, giving her father a quick glance. "Mara and I are just trying out this new simulation."

Mara's jaw dropped, and she turned nearly as pale as a Force ghost. Her mouth moved, but no words came out.

"Ah, I see," Anakin replied, Force-calling the instruction datapad to him. He was, of course, not in his suit, but was wearing a black tunic, black pants, and high black boots. "So, which level are you on?"

"Five," Elena answered, taking no notice of Mara. Her friend was still staring at Anakin as if he had just grown four arms and three heads.

Elena finally glanced at Mara, who was trying to speak. "But… you're… you're not Darth Vader!" The Emperor's Hand finally blurted out disbelievingly.

Anakin looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he said in an even, smooth tone. "Perhaps you should ask Elena."

"Oh yes, it's true," Elena said airily, looking back to her friend. "He's my father."

Mara's eyes widened more, if that were possible. "But… how?" she asked, "Is this what you looked like under your suit the whole time?"

Elena shook her head. "No, he couldn't breathe without it before," she continued, "But just as I healed you, I figured out that I could heal him and make him look like he was when he was a lot younger."

"Twenty-three, to be exact," Anakin spoke up, scrolling down the manual.

"You sure, Elena?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Mara continued to stare at Anakin. "You're really Lord Darth Vader?" she said, just beginning to get over the shock.

Anakin raised an eyebrow; Elena just laughed quietly, finding the entire situation quite humorous.

"I, I mean," Mara stammered, something that was rare with the usually cool Emperor's Hand.

"Do you need my assistance or not?" Anakin interrupted irritably, "I have some other work that needs finishing."

Elena raised her hands in defense. "All right, just chill," she returned. "Mara just needs a second to recover."

"I've recovered," her friend put in automatically.

Anakin merely shook his head; and the three finished the simulation with some added direction from him. After that, he went back to doing his work, Elena and Mara ate some dinner, and then Elena walked her friend back to the hangar.

"So I'll see you tomorrow," Mara said as they walked slowly past the ships.

Elena nodded. "Tomorrow at school," she confirmed. _Or tonight,_ she sent to her friend mentally.

_Tonight, then,_ Mara said. She gazed rather solemnly at Elena for a moment before jumping into a speeder and zooming away. _I won't tell, Elena, _she continued before breaking the link.

Elena smiled. Mara Jade was turning out to be a very trustworthy friend.

* * *

_**So, Mara's in the family now. But what about the Emperor? What new scheme will he concoct next? Will the Skywalkers be able to foil his evil plot? Will Vader ever return to the Light Side? Will the triplets end up turning to the Dark Side? **_

_**Will the author ever shut her trap? **_

_**Probably not. **_

_**Don't forget to R&R! Well, you actually only need to R if you've gotten this far, cause you've already done the first R: reading. So go do the second R. Review. **_

_**Shutting up now. **_

_**MtFbwy,**_

_**-Serena Kenobi**_


	13. Weakness

**Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**Author's note: _I had one person saying that Elena was somewhat of a Mary Sue, and I like to take constructive criticism very seriously. They said she needed a weakness, and I agree. Hence the addition of this chapter.  
_**

**_Also, Super Tinfoil Man was asking how Elena and the others got to have their powers. I'll explain that in this chapter, plus, I decided to scratch my original plot and go with something else. It took a lot of thinking, but I'm happy with my choice. I hope you will be, too. Don't forget to leave comments and let me know what you think!  
_**

**Disclaimer: Once again, I own no one but Elena. **

* * *

**Chapter 13  
**

The tall, handsome, and muscular Dark Prince entered into his private cruiser.

"We will dine at the Menari this evening," he told the droid chauffeur, and leaned back into his leather seat.

The Dark Underlord of Black Sun stared out into the rays of the artificial setting sun, the warm glow casting darkening shadows on the sides of the buildings. But the Dark Prince's mind was not on the beauty of the sunset, synthetic though it was. He was planning his next move against his archenemy, the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader.

So far, he had not been able to attack Vader directly. No, the Dark Lord was much too powerful for that. Any frontal attempt would be useless. He would have to carefully strategize, plan his every move, always be one step ahead of Vader.

However, all of his previous attempts had proved fruitless. The Dark Lord had foiled each of his plans, and though he was still the second favorite of the Emperor himself, it was not enough. He needed to be at the top. But so far, Vader did not have any weaknesses to speak of. He was strong, he had that mysterious Force on his side, and he was just as wealthy and powerful as the leader of Black Sun. He neither needed nor wanted for nothing.

But that was before. Before _she_ had entered the Dark Lord of the Sith's life.

Vader did have a weakness.

And that weakness was his young daughter.

Prince Xizor smiled darkly.

* * *

Elena swung hard at a nearby droid, slashing it dead in its center. It fell to the ground, split into two pieces. Before she had time to savor her victory, however, another droid came up behind her, brought its lightsaber down at an incredible speed –

Elena teleported out of its way, disappearing into thin air. The droid did not have time to plan its next move because she teleported back into the room a mere split second later, already in the air and lunging right behind the droid, and chopped its head off.

The droid died down immediately, its frayed wires sizzling.

Elena shut down her lightsaber, reached up, and grabbed the mass of electrically charged wires. She felt the currents of energy run through her, smiled, and ripped the wires out of the droid with ease.

She would have to ask her father to buy more new droids. This was the last one she had destroyed, and they were becoming increasingly easy to defeat.

Well, weren't they all?

No, she decided. Vader had warned her not to use her powers against the droids – he wanted her to experience the use of the Force without the mutant abilities. He had specifically told her to only use her senses and lightsabers.

Okay, so she had cheated slightly. It happened sometimes.

Elena telekinetically picked up both damaged droids and disintegrated them. Once they were a mass of liquid metal, she slowly reformed them into a new droid – a destroyer droid from the Clone War era. She let it rest on the ground before mentally ordering it to activate. It did, springing to life and uncurling from its ball.

"Stay here and deactivate," she told it, inwardly pleased that her metal controlling and telekinetic powers were starting to be controlled more easily.

The droid nodded with its head, said, "Roger," and rolled against the wall, deactivating.

Elena grinned once more, brushed a few strands of her lengthening blonde hair out of her face. Not only was it growing rapidly, it was also lightening into a lighter golden. She wasn't sure why, but she liked it.

Elena glanced behind her to make sure the droid was shut down, turned, and headed out of the training room, locking the door behind her.

* * *

On the planet that was farthest from the center of the universe, a young Jedi trainee tossed and turned in his bed, groaning. The sheets were a tangled mess, most of the blankets lay by the bed, and the young man was covered in damp sweat. He gripped the sheets and clenched his teeth as another painful shock ripped through his body, and he hissed in pain, eyes flashing from blue to yellow to red, and suddenly a beam of hot lasers erupted forth from his eyes and burned the beside lamp in two. The young man growled in frustration, slapping a hand over his eyes.

A knock on the door caused him clench his fists in utter exasperation, and he panted, laying with his arms dangling off the bed, after another shock hit his body.

"Luke? Are you all right?" an elder woman's voice called from behind the door.

The young man rubbed his temples, inhaling and exhaling deeply. "I'm fine, Aunt Beru!" he shouted back. "I'm just… cleaning up my room!" _Yeah, right. _

"Well," came the uncertain reply, "if you're sure you're okay. You've been in there for five hours now; your uncle is starting to wonder what you've been up to."

"I uh…" he fumbled for a valid excuse. " I'm just… taking a long time! This room got pretty messy." He hoped his aunt would buy it.

"Okay, Luke. Do you need anything?"

"Yes!" Luke exclaimed suddenly. "I need some calcium supplements. They should be in the kitchen."

"Calcium? Whatever for?"

"I just… haven't taken it in a long time and thought I'd start doing it again. Could you leave outside my door?" He winced as another wave of pain washed over him.

"Well… all right."

Luke Skywalker closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on a Jedi healing trance. This new stage in his mutation was beginning to kick in; the first time it had happened it was mild, but now, a year later, it was much more painful. He knew, somehow, what was happening to him. His mutations were constantly changing as new abilities were discovered, and to keep up with the stress, his body had apparently decided to go through a sort of regeneration every now and then. In other words, he had lost his powers for a short time and had become defenseless and vulnerable. He didn't know when it would happen next or how long it would last; he only knew that it hurt like heck.

Calcium was the healing supplement. It somehow helped to calm his body and relieve the pain for a short while. It wouldn't get rid of it permanently, but it did supply temporary relief.

Luke tried to concentrate harder as another painful shock ripped through his body, and he distantly wondered if his sisters were going through the same experience.

* * *

Elena sat, bored, listening to several officers drone on and on about the smuggling problem in the Baji sector. She wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying but stared at the dark wall in front of her.

The meeting room they were in was dark, and like most of the other rooms in the castle, was mostly bare except for the dark table, chairs, and holoproj. Elena had been given permission to do a little redecorating in some parts of the castle, but for the most part, Vader liked it plain and simple. He was not one to squander his extreme wealth, and she didn't either; but Elena liked to have some different items and color in the castle.

"Are you awake?" Jenson whispered to her.

Elena blinked, turned to him. "Not really," she confessed. "What's going on now?"

"Same issues they were talking about fifteen minutes ago," Jenson said, a small smile gracing his face.

Elena grinned and turned her attention back to the officers. Glancing down at her hands, she felt her fingernails with the tips of her fingers and was surprised to suddenly feel a wave of sickness hit her. She frowned, put a hand on her stomach. Thinking it might be just a passing cramp; she dismissed it as it went away.

But when it came back, this time coming upon her even harder, and this time, it brought on a sudden headache, she knew something was wrong. She felt dizzy, nauseous, and couldn't seem to concentrate.

"Lady Skywalker?"

She looked up to see an officer observing her quizzically.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," she apologized, "I'm afraid we'll have to pick up this discussion tomorrow; I'm not feeling very well." She stood up.

The officers did the same.

"Of course, my lady," the first officer said, "I hope you feel better by tomorrow." They bowed and left the room, leaving only Jenson and Elena.

"Are you going to be all right?" Jenson asked her.

She nodded. "I think so. I just need some rest. I'll be in my room if anything comes up." Elena turned and walked out of the room, putting a hand to her forehead. When she reached her bedroom, she entered and took off her boots and tunic. She glanced at a datapad she needed to review for school and reached for it to telekinetically pick it up.

The datapad started to levitate across the room, and it was halfway to her outstretched hand, when –

"Aah!" Elena groaned, dropping on her knees to the floor. She grabbed her forehead, the room spinning dizzily around her. A wave of intense pain washed over her entire body and mind, and she dropped to the floor, desperately trying to regain her senses –

She then started to shake. First, it was her hands, then her arms, and her thoracic area; down to her legs, then feet – in a matter of seconds her entire body was shuddering violently.

But in the midst of the ongoing quivers, she managed to notice something exceptionally disturbing. Her fingers were no longer silver. They were normal.

Elena felt her body being somehow drained of her powers… and she was losing them rapidly. Her body continued to tremble as she lay there on the floor.

_F-Father! _She frantically called for help. _Father, can you hear me?_

But Vader could not. He was too far from Coruscant to pick up her distress call.

_Mara! Mara! _

She felt the Emperor's Hand's emotions as she received the message – but then blocked it immediately. Elena knew Mara was in the Emperor's presence.

Elena desperately tried to think of anyone else that could help her, anyone else that she could trust implicitly.

_JIX! Jix! _

* * *

Sitting in a dimly lit bar on Imperial Center, Sergeant Wrenga Jixton froze.

_What was _that?

* * *

Elena heard his confused answer and continued to call him using the Force – her other powers weren't working properly.

_Jix! Jix, if you can hear me, say yes! _

There was a slight pause and then: _Elena? _

He heard her! Elena closed her eyes as another particularly forceful shudder jolted through her body, and she gasped, her breathing short and erratic.

Jix seemed to feel her emotions and said, _Elena, what the devil's going on? Are you all right? _

_Pl-please, Jix. Ju-ust c-come. I'll t-ell you when-n you get he-ere. _The shaking even caused her mental thoughts to be unclear and slightly jumbled.

_I'll be right there! Just hang on, Elena! _

Elena sent a wave of emotions to him, mostly consisting of relief, and looked at her hands as they continued to shake. Wondering what in Yoda's name was going on, she tried to think of every possible sickness she could have acquired somehow. But how could she get sick if she healed almost instantaneously?

Her mind abruptly flashed back to a few months before her seventeenth birthday. She had felt suspiciously weak, her hands were slightly shaking, her powers were unstable, and for a few minutes, had lost them. Her hair and eye color had also strangely darkened somewhat. Because of her exhaustion and fragility, she had taken some calcium supplements to see if it would help. It had, and within a few days, she was back to normal. She had brushed it off as a freak occurrence and hadn't thought of it since.

But now…

Elena slowly put her hands on the floor and tried to lift herself up onto her knees. Slowly, she lifted her body up with her arms and began to bring her trembling knees up to rest on the floor –

Another sudden shudder rippled through her body, and she fell back to the ground.

She could do nothing but lie there and wait for Jix to come and help her.

Jix opened the throttle fully and rushed in his speeder towards Vader's castle. Once in the hangar bay, he sprinted to the other side of the castle where Elena's room was and banged on the door.

"Elena! Elena, are you in there?" he shouted.

"Y-yeah," he heard a weak voice on the other side of the door.

"Can you open the door?"

"Not re-really," the weak voice confessed, "I c-can't get u-up." He heard a breathy, painful intake of breath and somehow felt her extreme pain and distress.

"Hang on." He took a few steps back, pointed his blaster at the door's lock, and fired a few rounds. The lock sizzled and began to smoke, and he grabbed the hole in the door and pulled it open. He halted for a second, staring at the trembling figure on the floor, then quickly went over to her, gently taking her and rolling her over on her back, cradling her shivering body in his arms.

"Elena…" his dark eyes stared down into her unfamiliar matching dark ones. He reached out and touched her wet, dark chocolate-colored hair, and brushed a few wavy strands out of her sweat-soaked face. She tried to smile, but closed her eyes as another shudder ripped through her body. He frowned and held her tighter, as if hoping it would stop the quivering.

"Elena, what's happened to you? What's goin' on?"

Elena inhaled and exhaled before locking her eyes onto his. "S-something's happening to m-me," she started hesitantly, "it ha-as some-thing to d-do wi-ith m-my mu-mutant abil-abilites."

Jix couldn't have been more confused in his life. "Mutant abilities?" he echoed. "Elena, I don't understand."

Elena gazed at him. "I ne-eed some cal-calcium," she stammered. "It wi-will he-elp with the sha-aking."

"Calcium?"

"Yes. There's s-some in the 'f-fresher cabinet."

Jix hurried into the fresher and opened the cabinet. Sure enough, there was the bottle of calcium supplements. Taking the bottle out, he hastily brought it to Elena and watched in concern as she shakily grabbed a handful of pills and swallowed them in one gulp.

"All right, Skyler," he said in a low voice, "What's going on?"

Elena glanced to her beside table. "Go t-to the ni-ightstand and o-open the drawer. T-take out the co-comic books y-you find there."

"Comic books? Elena, this ain't the time for jokes!"

"Ju-just do it. Please."

Her pleading eyes finally caused him to sigh in defeat, and he picked her up and set her on the bed. He then went to the nightstand, took out a few of the comic books, and stared at them.

"Elena, I don't get it."

"It's k-kind of hard to explain."

The Imperial agent raised his eyebrows. "Try me."

"Well, let's ju-ust say, I'm genetically en-enhanced."

"Genetically enhanced?"

"Yeah. I'm a mu-mutant."

Jix stared at her. "A mutant? I don't get it."

"I can c-copy comic book mutant's p-powers," she slowly explained.

"You're serious."

One look from her and he knew she was. "I still don't get this whole thing. I mean, I know you have the whole Force thing, but this is just… odd. These comic book people aren't real, Elena. Their powers aren't real, either."

"I know."

He sat back, digesting the news. "If you can do this, what made you be able to do it in the first place? What makes you so special?"

"My f-father. Because he was cre-created completely from the F-Force, it enhanced his g-genes b-but nev-ver activ-vated them. In the c-comics, the mutant gene i-is carried on b-by the father; in my c-case, my father. To make a l-long story s-short, Dad has the m-mutant gene, and when I w-was born, the genes activated, and m-my genetic structure made me a mu-utant," she said.

Jix nodded slowly. "I don't think I'll ever understand it, but I can kinda see the big idea. Speaking of his Lorship, I'd better contact him to tell him what you're goin' through." He paused. "By the way, what's goin' on now?"

"My b-body needs time to regenerate in dif-ferent periods to keep up with all of m-my powers. It's h-happened before, but no-ot this bad. I'll pr-probably be getting this mo-ore often n-now that I'm older. But the cal-calcium helps to stop the sh-shakings."

Jix nodded again, touched the comlink on his wristband. In a few minutes, the familiar sound of breathing was heard over the link.

"Jixton, you had better have a good explanation for this interruption," Vader said, "I am considering firing you. Tell me why you called before I end the link."

Jix looked at Elena and said, "Uh, we're having a serious _mutant _problem down here…"

The breathing on the other end stopped for a moment, then began once again. "_What_ did you say?"

"Listen," Jix said, "I know everything. The whole mutant deal, her powers, everything. No need to hide it from me anymore. And if you think I found this out on my own, Elena's the one who told me."

"Where is she?" Vader asked.

"She's right here, and she's shaking pretty bad. Her hair and eye color are different, too."

"Shaking? What is going on, Jixton?" Vader thundered. "I want a full explanation!"

"She's going through some kinda hormonal change," Jix said, "it's kinda hard to explain. Just get back here ASAP."

"I am on a mission from the Emperor," Vader said, "and I do not think I can return home immediately. You must take care of her while I am gone. I should be back at Imperial Center within the week."

"Will do. I'll look after her."

Elena smiled weakly at the Imperial sergeant.

"Very well," Vader said, "I would like to speak with her."

Jix held out his wrist, and Elena spoke into the integrated comlink. "H-hey, Dad," she said.

"Elena, are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah, I think so. Jix'll l-look out for me. Don't w-worry about me."

Vader was silent for a moment before saying, "I _always _worry about you."

Elena didn't know what to say in reply.

"Make sure Jixton gets you everything you need," Vader continued, "I shall return as soon as I can." The link was disconnected.

After a few seconds of silence, Elena reached in the bottle of calcium pills to grab another handful; but her hand slipped as it trembled, and half of the pills spilled out of the bottle onto the bed.

Jix didn't say anything but gathered the pills together in his hands and picked them up off the bed. Taking one hand, he reached out and gently forced Elena's mouth to open. With the other, he dropped the pills into her mouth and waiting until she had swallowed them before slowly taking his hands away. Elena stared back at him and unexpectedly snatched his hand, squeezing it tightly in her much smaller one.

Taking this as a good sign, Jix slid up next to Elena on her bed, resting his back against the padded headboard. He put his free arm around Elena and began to stroke her hair, still silent.

Elena smiled slightly as he did so and curled up into his warm body. She glanced at their hands still connected, and closed her eyes as the effects of the pills began to lessen her shuddering somewhat. It did not completely disappear, but the violent spurts were no longer there.

She and Jix sat there on her bed silently, both wrapped up in their own thoughts. The Jedi-in-training was wondering if her brother and sister were going through the same ordeal. The Imperial agent was simply enjoying the quiet, tranquil moment with Vader's daughter as they rested there, watching dark clouds cover the sunset and the planet of Coruscant, eventually blanketing the whole planet in the darkness of nightfall.

The clouds would soon grow close together and begin to release their rain as a thunderstorm quickly approached the castle of Darth Vader.

* * *

_**So, there ya have it. Hope you enjoyed it, and I enjoyed writing it!! Lots of fun. Definite new plot twist in there. I keep changing my mind... sheesh. **_

_**Don't mind me!!! **_

_**MtFbwy,**_

_**-Serena Kenobi**_


	14. Problems

**Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**Author's note: _MANY thanks for all of your wonderful reviews!! I have recently had a breakthrough with this story - I've been writing like crazy!!! I hope you like this new turn of events. PippinBaggins was also asking what Jix's views were on the Rebels. He's not exactly against them, but his loyalties are for Vader and Elena. He wouldn't betray them, but he has no love for the Empire itself, such as stormtroopers. Matter of fact, he hates them. He's only working for Vader himself. So he's kinda not on anybody's side - neither Empire's nor Rebels. He just works for Vader. Hope that clears everything up._**

**_I also was reading I Am Me, the original one, and was appalled by the characterization, especially of Vader, the Imperials, and Xizor. Jix, too, OOC. Would anyone be interested in a rewritten version of I Am Me? It would be different, as a matter of fact, I've already started writing it. I was also thinking of a change of title...  
_**

_**OH YEAH. I'll be adding DARCY AKA SPECTRE, who belongs to none other than the wonderful PIPPINBAGGINS in again soon, so be on the lookout for that. Not exactly sure when I'll fit him in, but I will. Just wanted everyone to know. And he does NOT belong to me. But go read Pippin's story: Spectre!! It's really, really good!! Awesome! **_

**Disclaimer: Once again, I own no one but Elena.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 14**_**  
**_

Elena opened her eyes, looked at the nearby chrono. _2300 hours, _she thought, _we've been sitting here since 1700. That's six hours! _She looked up at Jix, who was snoring quietly. His arm was still around her, and their hands were still linked. Elena thought he looked strangely peaceful; something the hardened, ruthless, mostly cynical Imperial ex-gunner agent never was when he was awake.

Not wishing to wake him, she continued to sit there, curled up into a ball. The shaking was still present, and in a few minutes, she would have to take another dose of pills to avoid the particularly bad episodes.

Elena sighed, looked at the bottle of pills on the dresser to her right. She was mostly certain that she could stand now, but the only problem was detaching herself from the secret agent. She slowly released her hand from his and tried to stealthily wiggle out from his extremely muscular arm. But just when she had started to crawl across the bed away from him, he made a low noise in the back of his throat and unconsciously tightened his grip on her waist.

Elena stiffened, inwardly cringing. This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid. She leaned back and stared at him, wondering what it was that the Imperial was dreaming about. She blushed, trying not to picture what her father would look like if he saw them now.

He'd probably have a heart attack and Force-choke Jix into the next century.

Brushing those unpleasant thoughts aside, she glanced at his arm still around her waits. Carefully, she took it and delicately pulled it off and placed it down upon the pillow.

Grinning in victory, she slid off the bed, shakily stood, and went over to the dresser. She opened the bottle of pills and shoved a handful into her mouth, swallowing them in one gulp. As her head came down, her unfamiliar dark eyes locked with its counterparts in the large mirror facing her. She gazed back, her eyes sweeping over her appearance – her straight, dark hair, her nearly black eyes, the unnaturally pale skin – Elena grimaced. This didn't look like her.

_I wonder how long until my powers and my blonde hair – I miss my hair – come back. And my blue eyes… _she looked forlornly at the dark orbs staring back at her. _I want my Skywalker blue eyes back. They're part of what makes me… me. _

As she gazed into the mirror, a sudden movement on the bed behind her caught her attention, and she turned to look at Jix, who had shifted slightly, still asleep. Elena grinned and hopped back on the bed, staring at secret agent. His long dark hair, as normal, was pulled back into a ponytail and was slightly messy from sleeping on it. A few strands of hair were falling in front of his chiseled, well-structured face, and she noticed some slight stubble on his chin from not having shaved. He wore his usual tan vest that didn't cover much of his extremely well-built, bare torso and his normal dark brown pants and high black boots.

_Stupid, Elena, stupid! _She chastised herself, quickly averting her eyes from his face and muscular chest. _You already told him that you couldn't be together… and you can't! What would Dad think? _

_Dad wouldn't have to know, _another sly voice chipped in.

_Yes, he would! I'm not lying to him about that! I've already hidden too much from him. _

_Well then, tell him! So what if he disapproves? What's he gonna do, disown you? _

_Or kill Jix. _

_Nah…_

Elena growled softly, picking at the blanket. _Note to self, _she thought; _don't have arguments with yourself because the argument will never be resolved. _

Against her better judgment, she looked back up at Jix. She slowly reached out a hand and gently touched the agent's cheek. Gazing at the incredibly _handsome_and masculine Imperial, her hand continued to search his face, running over his well-defined chin and moving upwards to brush the wisps of hair off of his forehead. Elena suddenly found herself gazing at his mouth and blushed a deep crimson. She had never kissed anyone before, nor had she ever wanted to.

But she wanted to kiss Jix right now. Very badly.

She didn't even realize she was doing it, but Elena began leaning towards him…

* * *

Jix groggily registered Elena's presence beside him as he felt her try to pull herself away from his embrace. More instinctively than anything else, he instantly tightened his hold on her slim waist, hoping that she'd just go back to sleep. However, she did not, but he didn't fight her as she pulled his arm away and got off the bed.

His eyes opening to small slits, he saw her standing in front of her dresser and taking another dose of calcium supplements. When he saw her look into the mirror, his eyes shut, and he shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable. Hoping that he hadn't scared her into believing he was awake, he became still again, his breathing even.

When he felt her crawl back onto the bed, he was tempted to open his eyes but didn't. He didn't want to ruin the moment. But his mind was trying to tell him otherwise.

_You're an Imperial agent, working for Darth Vader! _One of the voices shouted. _You're a ruthless assassin, and you can't get blasted soft because of some _girl_ who's practically ten years younger than you are! _

_Shut it! _Jix snarled. _She's already told me that we're stayin' friends, and I'm fine with that!_

_Obviously not, _the other voice retorted disdainfully, _anyone could see that you've totally fallen for her. _

_Yeah, I'll definitely fall – fall dead - when Lord Vader decides to choke the bleedin' life outta me… _

Jix opened his eyes slightly as if hoping to rid himself of the other voice, and he saw Elena right in front of him, staring down at the blanket. She seemed to be having internal issues with herself, as her brows were furrowed in concentration. Maybe she was having another voice trying to knock some sense into _her, _too. He instantly shut his eyes again when he felt her move her head back up to look at him.

For a moment, he just sat there, as did she. She must have been just looking at him. But when he felt a warm, smooth hand on his cheek, he had an insane urge to grab the delicate wrist and push it back before he got carried away. But he didn't. He was perfectly still as the hand traveled around his face, brushed some stubborn hairs away from his forehead; and then it stopped.

He couldn't help but tense slightly as he felt warm breath on his face and _knew _that she was drawing closer to him – but why?

And then her mouth touched his.

* * *

It was just a simple peck on the mouth, Elena told herself. Just a taste to see what it was like.

All the while, her mind was screaming to pull away, to draw back – she was just Jix's friend, _just _a friend. Nothing more. There could be nothing more between them.

Nothing.

But as she felt his warm mouth on hers, she knew that it would never be the same between them. She'd simply been fooling herself into believing that the two of them could be "just friends."

_But what would her father do? What would he say?_

Elena, still hoping that Jix was asleep during this entire episode, began to pull away, wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. She couldn't be with him. He was a Gunnery Sergeant, assassin, and Imperial agent working forever for her father. They couldn't possibly even _think _about having a _relationship_…

Elena didn't even have time to register what happened next –

Jix's amazingly strong arm promptly shot out and seized the back of her head powerfully, pulling her back into him and forcing her into a scorching, much more passionate kiss.

Elena brought up her hands to his chest instinctively to push him away, but when the kiss deepened, and she felt his soft yet firm mouth caressing hers, her hands ended up on his muscular shoulders, gripping them tightly. In the back of her mind, a small voice was screaming for her to stop, that it wasn't right.

But as Jix's other hand wrapped around her waist, she knew it was.

After a few minutes of complete bliss, Jix suddenly stilled. He pulled back, his eyes filled with something she didn't understand nor had ever seen before, and released her, letting out a long, slow breath. He stared at her, his eyes searching hers.

Elena dropped her eyes down to the blankets, her hands slipping back into her lap. As she stared at them, breathing heavily from lack of air, she noticed that they were trembling – as was her entire body – violently; but she wasn't sure if that was from the kissing or her mutant problem.

Jix was silent, but she could feel his eyes burning into her, probing her reaction.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she dared to look up at the agent again, her confused eyes meeting his; and it seemed to her a wave, or cloud passed over Wrenga Jixton's eyes, and he straightened, gazing at her coolly.

Oh, no. He'd fallen back into his normal, irritatingly smart aleck, suave attitude, the attitude he normally used around her father and everyone else besides her. That was _not_ a good sign.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said, his voice strangely detached. "I'm sorry." Hopping down off the bed, he strode out of the room, the door hissing shut behind him.

Elena shut her eyes, inwardly screaming at herself. _Stang! _She cursed. Falling backwards onto the bed, she sighed, wondering if she had ruined their friendship forever.

* * *

"There she is! Get 'er!"

The young alien sped across the street and leaped over a few swoop bikes, her red lekku bouncing wildly. She dodged a few fired shots and raced up a flight of sand-covered stairs into a small shop, taking cover behind a wall of tools. She peeked through one of the gaps in the rack to see if her pursuers had seen where she had gone, but she couldn't hear anything.

"Hey! You!"

The female Lethan Twi'lek turned sharply to see a rough-looking man standing a few feet away, his arms folded. He was glaring at her. "Yes?" She asked, her voice serene, warm, and low.

"Either buy something or get out," the man snapped. "This ain't a place for loitering. And it ain't a place for protection against bounty hunters, either."

"Fixer!" A human female came out from behind a door, "What's going on?"

The man shrugged. "Eh, just some runaway. Nothin' to see, Camie."

Camie raised her eyebrows. "What runaway?"

Fixer turned to indicate the Twi'lek, but to his surprise, no one was there.

Sylina Valcana flew down a side street and wiped a small bead of sweat off her red forehead. So far, she hadn't seen any of the hunters, but it was very unlikely that they had given up on her. A Twi'lek female, especially of her rare Lethan species, was a prize for any crime lord.

Her deep, dark eyes scanning the area in front of her, she concentrated, raised her arms. A small swirl of sand began to rise in front of her, and it grew larger and larger. She darted into the mini sandstorm, hoping it would give her cover, leaped onto a nearby, forgotten swoop-bike, gunned the engines, and sped away into the desert, leaving the city of Mos Eisley behind.

After about two hours, the bike was running out of fuel, and Sylina knew she was in trouble.

She knew she was even more in trouble when she heard the sound of more than one swoop coming up fast behind her. She turned her head to see how many enemies she was up against; and to her dismay, she saw five large, burly men coming right at her.

Gunning her swoop and hoping that she could make it to the canyon up ahead a few miles, she swerved left and right to avoid any oncoming fire.

The swoop gang still came closer, and she noticed one of them carried a large axe in his hand.

Well. There was only one other option. She looked at her fuel gauge and read the 'on empty' sign. In another few seconds, and at the speed she was going, she'd be a goner.

Sylina looked behind her once more. The bikes came even closer, and they were gaining. She turned around again. Closed her eyes, and opened them, the color of the irises changing from a dark brown to an unnatural sandy-toned shade.

In front of the swoops, a sandstorm instantly began to whip and swirl, and in just a few seconds turned into a small tornado. Two of the bikes were shot up into the tornado, and two others were sent crashing to the ground.

Only one more, but he had wisely avoided the sandstorm.

Sylina focused, her eyes still the sandy color –

The swoop's rider cried out as a particularly strong gust of sand whipped into his face, scratching it with the hard, sandy particles. He lost control of his bike and fell off, dropping into the sand. The bike flew a few more feet and burst into flames upon crashing to the ground.

Sylina's eyes returned to their normal dark color, and she slowed her bike to a stop before it crashed from lack of fuel. Hopping off it, she looked around for any sign of life. It wasn't until she heard the sound of a blaster being fired and a sizzling pain in her back that she knew she hadn't been entirely successful in ridding herself of the riders.

She dropped to the ground, dazed, and barely registered a shout of pain behind her and footsteps coming towards her. The last thing she remembered was a kind, handsome face looming over her.

* * *

Sylina bolted upright and immediately stiffened from the pain in her back. She reached up slowly and tried not to wince from the agony she felt upon touching the wound.

The wound that… had a batca patch covering it.

Sylina frowned. Looked around for her rescuer. Saw a young man sitting a few feet away, staring out into the desert. From his countenance and slouched position, he didn't appear to be at all well; and he stiffened and relaxed in a strange manner every few moments.

"Excuse me," Sylina spoke.

The young man turned around and stood up. "Oh, you're awake," he said. "I wasn't sure how long you'd–" he winced, as a jolt of pain seemed to rip through his body. "How long you'd be out."

"Are you all right?"

The young man nodded, his face sickly, pale, and drawn tightly from what appeared to be from the pain he was obviously going through and most likely from lack of sleep. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about it. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You got a pretty bad wound, but you should be okay." He glanced at her bike. "It's refilled, so you should have enough fuel to reach Mos Espa or Mos Eisely, or wherever you're going. There's also some food I put in a bag." He nodded, his deep blue eyes strangely filled with pain. "I'm sorry I can't stay, but I really should be getting home. Good luck."

Sylina stood up quickly and instantly regretted it. "But wait," she protested, "I must thank you, but I don't know your name."

The young man paused, halting. "My name is Luke Skywalker," he said quietly, and nodded again, turning and walking away.

The Twi'lek stared at him for a moment as he, somewhat unsteadily, moved away from her into the desert. She looked at her swoop, and then back at the young man, Luke – but to her astonishment, he had disappeared into thin air.

Her intelligent mind processing the information, Sylina suddenly smiled. Her day had just turned from bad to excellent.

She was not alone.

That mysterious young man was a mutant.

* * *

"Luke! LUKE!" Beru Lars searched the farm frantically for her missing nephew. "Luke, where are you?"

A tired, worn-out voice spoke from behind her, "I'm here, Aunt Beru."

Beru whisked around to see Luke leaning against the wall, and she rushed forward. "Luke, where have you been?" She demanded. "I've been searching everywhere for you!"

Luke smiled wanly. "I'm sorry… there was something I needed to do…" His eyes became distant.

She frowned. "Something you needed to do? But Luke, you look terrible! I think you have a fever! Why in the worlds would you go somewhere?" She felt his forehead and winced. "You're burning up!"

"I just… had some chores Uncle Owen wanted me to finish," Luke told her, sitting down in a chair. "Sorry for worrying you." He slowly rose to his feet. "I think I should be in bed now. I need more calcium first."

"Calcium? Why calcium? I think you need some medicine, Luke."

He looked at her, an odd expression on his face. "No, just calcium." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, Aunt Beru." With that cryptic statement, he staggered off to his bedroom, his aunt staring after him, a concerned look on her older face.

"Beru!" Her husband's gruff voice caused her to turn and face him.

"Yes?"

"Where's Luke? I can't find the boy anywhere; he's supposed to be doing his chores!"

Beru raised her eyebrows. "Owen, Luke is sick. Very sick. He can hardly walk. And besides, he told me he already did his chores."

"No, he didn't."

Confused, Beru said, "Then what _was _he doing?"

"Doing? Whaddaya mean? If he's sick, hasn't he been in bed?"

Beru frowned. "He just got back from somewhere. He said he'd been doing his chores, but…" she trailed off, and Owen scowled.

"That boy's been nothing but trouble," he growled. "Got too much of his blasted father in him."

"That's not his fault–" Beru protested.

"What he really needs to learn is respect!" Owen shouted, "and if he's sneakin' off to shirk his chores, then I'll have to teach him a lesson!" He stalked off, furious.

Beru sighed, shaking her head.

In his bedroom, with his ultra-sensitive hearing, Luke shut his eyes. "Teach me a lesson," he muttered, irritated. "Over my dead body."

* * *

_**Hoo boy. Dramatic chapster. Will Elena and Jix mend their now tense relationship? Will Owen and Beru find out what Luke's real problem is? Will Vader kill Jix once he finds out what happened between them?**_

_**Most importantly, will the authoress ever shut her mouth? Nah...**_

_**Don't forget to leave a review!! They make me happy!! Happy people update sooner... **_

_**Oh yeah! I added Jix pictures (drools) and the Jix character biography from my story onto my website, so check it out! Also I added a link on the homepage so you can read what the hot Imperial agent's really all about. **_

_**MtFbwy, and God bless! **_

_**- Serena Kenobi**_


	15. Temper

**Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**_Author's Note: Once again, I thank you for the reviews!! It's what keeps this story alive. Appreciate it, mates! _**

**_I have a forum, in case you didn't know, for Star Wars AU Roleplay and also to discuss this and my other Star Wars stories. So, if you have a question about Jix or Elena or anything else, feel free to look up my forums, go to Star Wars AU Roleplay, and click on the topic "My AU Stories." Posts and questions welcome!! _**

**_Disclaimer: Me? Own Star Wars? (laughs) I wish. I also wish I owned the Force Unleashed, but it's not out yet. APRIL!!! _**

* * *

****  
**As he paced furiously down the empty, dark hallways of the castle, Jix** swore loudly and repeatedly, getting the sudden urge to break something. With a menacing scowl on his handsome face, he abruptly turned and hurled a large fist into the wall, its impact managing to cause a small dent and a few spider-like cracks in the wall. Jix didn't even look back but moved on, growling under his breath.

_You kriffin' nerf-herder! _Jix's mind screamed. _You just KISSED LORD DARTH VADER'S DAUGHTER!!! This is it for you, man. You're done for. What in Vader's name possessed you to do something so incredibly stupid? _

Jix couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty about leaving Elena all by herself, but after that little fiasco, he wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. For as long as possible. And it wasn't because of her. Well, actually, it was; but it was mostly because of him. He would _want _to kiss her again if he saw her – Force; he even _enjoyed _kissing her, a lot – but who knew how that would've turned out if he hadn't stopped? Would they have decided to be in a… relationship?

Sithspawn, she was driving him _insane_!

He had to stay away from her. He didn't even want to be in the same room anymore now that he knew what he would feel. Even if he saw her, just so much as looked at her, he would want to kiss her again. Now that he had had a taste, he wanted more.

He wanted to get her out of his head.

But he couldn't.

They couldn't have a romantic relationship. Now it looked as if they couldn't even have just a friendship.

Blast. This was _not_ good. What in world's name had persuaded her to kiss him like that? Torture him like that? His scowl deepened, and he balled his hands into fists, wanting very much to bring down a few stormtroopers to cool himself down.

Sith, he had completely messed up everything.

He was in over his head now. _Way _over his head. And there was nothing he could do about it. And for the first time in his life, Jix was at a loss for what to do. And he hated it.

* * *

Oh, Force. The trembling was returning, full swing. And Elena was all out of calcium supplements and stuck lying on her bed. She couldn't even contact anyone because she could hardly move, and Jix was nowhere to be seen. He had disappeared completely after the incident.

Elena lifted up a hand and stared at it as it began to tremble more violently, and she shuddered, inwardly groaning as a familiar horrid tremble passed through her weakened body.

_Perfect. Just perfect. _

She thought about calling Jenson, but how would she explain herself? Would he take her to the doctor's, and though the doctors couldn't explain her condition, would they run tests on her? And Force knew how that would turn out...

Elena couldn't remember the last time she had ended up in such a predicament. Well, except for the time when Mara had died. But that was Mara's predicament. This was hers.

Her father would be home shortly, but not soon enough. She couldn't trust anyone else in the castle, and she couldn't leave her room.

She would have to ask Jix for help again. And maybe if she did, she could mend their frayed relationship. Or maybe not.

Closing her eyes, she sighed and concentrated to the best of her abilities. _Jix, _she called. _Jix, I know you're getting this message, so please listen. _

There was silence on the other end.

_Jix, please. _

Still no reply.

Elena sighed, dropped her head on her pillow. He wasn't going to answer her. She had ruined everything. What a mess.

She slowly reached over to her beside table and picked up her comlink. Dialing a number, she waited.

"What?" Jix's voice snarled on the other end of the frequency.

"Look, if you don't want to talk to me, that's your choice. I just need more calcium before my voice starts to shake again."

A pause. "How much do ya need?" He asked grudgingly, a hint of resignation in his tone.

"As many bottles as you can get."

He sighed shortly. "I'll be back within the hour. Jix out." The communication ended abruptly, and Elena frowned. She wondered how long she could stand the Corellian agent's indifferent attitude.

* * *

Jix returned as he had promised, but merely entered her room, placed the bottles on the nightstand, barely looking at her, and left. His blue eyes were disinterested, and his countenance cold. He obviously didn't want to talk to her, and she felt rather rejected by his behavior. He had told her father that he would take care of her, but now he didn't even acknowledge her presence.

Maybe that was her fault. Elena felt sick, and not just because of her mutant problem. Once this was all over, she wanted to leave this entire thing behind. Running away from her problems wasn't the best solution, but at the moment, it was the only one she had.

When she got better, she resolved to contact her sister and ask to spend a few weeks, maybe a month, at Alderaan with her and the Royal Organa Family.

Elena rolled over on her side, tears threatening to fall down her face. She gazed out of her huge window, which was actually a wall of large transparisteel windows, at the Coruscanti traffic passing by.

Force knew she needed a vacation.

* * *

_**LATER THAT WEEK**_

Vader returned to find the castle suspiciously quiet. No mishaps with mutant powers, no arguments between Elena and Jenson or Elena and Jixton – it bothered him greatly, but for two different reasons: one, because he had grown used to having Elena and her quirky humorous self around, and two, because he shouldn't have been so bothered by the quiet. Was he going soft?

No. He just… had gotten strangely content to return home ­– it seemed really like a _home_, but that was because his daughter was there.

Speaking of Elena, where was she? He searched for her presence as he strode down the dark, large corridors of the castle, and finally located her familiar Force-signature –

He nearly stumbled back, surprised by how oddly _weak_ and _frail _it was. Helpless and… alone.

Vader frowned darkly. What was going on? And where was Jixton, anyways? He had ordered him to look after her. If he had deserted her…

But, no. Jixton would never do that to Elena. Vader knew that he cared deeply for his daughter. Too deeply to leave her alone in a time like this.

Vader reached Elena's quarters, reached out for permission to enter. He got a small response, and opened the door, stepping inside the large, open room. He first noticed that Elena was lying, still, on a bed. The second thing he noticed was that Jixton was nowhere to be found.

He strode over to her bedside, reached up, took off his helmet and neckpiece so he could have full freedom to move his head, and sat down, touching Elena's arm.

Her eyes, her _dark _eyes, opened slowly, and they blinked, then focused on him. Deep brown, almost raven hair fell in wisps in front of her pale, worn face, and she managed a smile.

"Hello, Father. How was the mission?"

Anakin stared at her, wondering how much information he should divulge. "Fine."

Her eyes searched his. "You're lying," she said softly. "You're not telling me everything."

Anakin glanced at her beside table and back to her. Right now was _not_ the time to be discussing the almost finished construction of the Death Star. "I see you've got calcium," he said, changing the subject, "I seem to recall something almost exactly like this happening last year."

She nodded. "It did. My body can't keep up with the increase of my powers, so it decides to… revamp every year. Like molting, in a way. I'll be fine. I just need to sleep."

"Where's Jixton?" Anakin demanded. "He should be here, watching you…" he trailed off when he saw his daughter's face fall. " What is it? Elena?"

"Jix is probably gone," Elena said sadly. "I don't know when, or if he'll be back anytime soon."

"He was supposed to be watching you," Anakin replied, irritated at the Corellian's behavior.

Elena blushed. "He was, but I sort of… well. We sort of argued. I'd rather not talk about it."

His blue eyes studied her, but he decided not to press the issue. "Very well." Leaning over, he brushed some hair out of her face and rested his gloved hand on her cheek. "Get some rest." He stood and turned to leave the room.

"Father."

Anakin looked back. "Yes?"

Elena said, "I'd like to visit Leia when this is over."

Her father gazed at her. Finally, after a pause, he said, "This wouldn't be because of Jixton, now would it?"

Elena looked down.

"Elena, you can't run from your problems forever. Believe me, I've tried," he said flatly.

"I know." Elena's voice was small. "I just… want to get away from everything. The Emperor. Coruscant. I want to see Leia. She's one of my best friends, and I…" she trailed off.

He nodded. "Very well. I will arrange it."

"No!" Her tone caused him to look at her, surprised. "I'd rather just contact her myself."

"Very well," he repeated, and strode out of the room, deeply immersed in his own darker train of thoughts.

Unbeknownst to his daughter, the Emperor had been recently upping the pressure for him to turn Elena to the dark side. Unimpressed with his progress so far, the Emperor had told him that if he didn't seem some results soon, Vader would have to deal with the consequences.

But Vader still wasn't sure if he wanted to turn his only daughter onto the path he had chosen. So far, it hadn't worked out as Palpatine had promised. His wife had died, he had been separated from his child, and he cared nothing for wealth – but the extreme power was luring – what was he to do?

Vader sank down onto his bed, sighing deeply. He knew, someday, that it would come to this. He had hoped, though, that it wouldn't be as soon as this. But what if he did turn Elena to the dark side? What if they overthrew the Emperor and ruled as father and daughter?

Overcome with exhaustion and stress, Vader passed out.

* * *

_Vader stood in the grand throne room of the recently redecorated Imperial palace, his dark blonde hair catching the artificial light from the setting Coruscanti sun. _

"_Father!" _

_Vader turned at the familiar, angry voice of his daughter as she came storming up to him. _

"_Father," the girl growled, her icy blue eyes flashing dangerously, "I thought we had decided to wipe out the rest of the Falleen population last week. But there's still been no action yet! What's going on?" Her blonde hair had been dyed a near black, and her eyes were cold. _

_Vader shivered under his daughter's menacing stare. "Elena," he started, placing a hand on her shoulder – _

"_My name is Phoenix." Her eyes suddenly darkened, and her voice grew into a guttural hiss, a voice not her own. A nearby vase abruptly burst apart, vaporized by Elena's Phoenix unstoppable powers. _

"_You need to calm down," Vader ordered, gathering up his strength. "I will not have you vaporizing every single object that you come close to." _

_Elena's eyes returned to their icy color. "Don't tell me what to do, Father dearest," she hissed. "I thought we had agreed to rule the galaxy together - you will treat me as your equal." _

_Vader stiffened. "Whether you like it or not, I am your father," he said firmly. "And I think we should investigate that new medicine those doctors were creating – they might be able to fix your Phoenix personality." _

_Elena's eyes instantly flashed back into their all-dark state. "I don't want to fix it," she snarled, the windows behind Vader simultaneously bursting into microscopic shards. _

_Vader covered his face with his hands, horrified as he watched his daughter be consumed by her dark side personality and begin vaporizing everything in sight. "Elena! Elena, stop!" He cried. "This isn't you!" _

_She paid no attention, her face growing darker. _

_As the wind swirled around him, Vader cried out one last time in a last effort: "ELENA!" _

Vader's eyes shot open. He bolted upright, his breathing doubled, and he gasped for breath, drops of sweat running off his forehead and down his chest. He shook his head, threw off the covers, and stormed towards his large window. Frustration and deep pain filling him, he turned, grabbed a light tunic, and walked out of his room and onto his private balcony. He leaned against one of the dark couches and gazed, his face now emotionless, out into Imperial Center, the traffic still going, even though it was past midnight.

He had a lot to think about.

* * *

"Luke? Luuuke!" Owen shouted, eyeing the inside of the homestead.

Silence.

"Luke Skywalker, don't make me come and find you, boy!"

Still, nothing.

Owen growled. "That blasted son-of-a-Sith!"

"Owen!" Beru gasped in horror as she set a pitcher of blue milk down on the table. "Don't you dare talk about your nephew like that!"

Owen muttered under his breath. "That kid is nothing but trouble," he stated irritably. "He's been running off for no good reason. What if he's gotten into death sticks or something worse? You must've noticed how strangely he's been acting."

Beru nodded reluctantly. "Yes, but that's probably a normal thing for a boy his age. He's almost a man, Owen. He's already eighteen years old."

"I know. But he's a naïve boy with crazy dreams of racing off into the galaxy. He needs some sense driven into him. I hope to leave this farm in capable hands."

His wife sighed. "Owen, Luke's not a farmer. He never has been; never will be." She paused. "He has too much of his father in him."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Owen gazed solemnly at his wife. "If he's not back here in fifteen minutes, he'll get a good licking. I'll ground him here if I have to."

Beru shook her head. "Luke's a sweet, innocent boy. I can't imagine him running off if he didn't have a good reason. I'm sure he's just talking with his friends at the Tosche station."

But Beru Lars couldn't have been more wrong.

"You are cheating, Surfer!" 

"No, I'm not."

"You can't use two powers at the same time, Skywalker!" Sylina shouted, desperately trying to keep up with the young man racing beside her. She was, at the moment, zooming across the Junland Wastes towards one of Luke's favorite spots – Beggar's Canyon – on her swoop bike.

The sleek, metallic body covering shined off the Silver Surfer as he smirked, flying at an incredible speed beside her swoop. This new power, this new, amazing ability had to be one of the most mind-blowing things Luke Skywalker had ever experienced. As he soared on his gleaming surfboard, which happened to respond to his every thought, he was completely and utterly at peace. Calm. Serene. In control.

The fact that he had the Force as his ally didn't hurt, either.

The Silver Surfer was, without a doubt, one of Luke's favorite comic book characters. And now, he got to be him.

Wow.

"Looks who's talking!" Luke shouted back, his voice that deep purring of the Surfer's. "You're enhancing your speed creating a sandstorm to push you along!"

The beautiful Lethan Twi'lek mutant only grinned a dazzling smile. "Not the same!" She returned. "The swoop is not a power!"

Luke laughed and swerved back and forth as if he were actually surfing the waves of one of the oceans on Mon Calamari. He could go to any height in this state, any length without tiring – the whole experience was like nothing he'd ever encountered before.

His sisters would _have _to try this.

Luke returned his attention to the upcoming canyon, and with an amazing speed burst forth, phasing through a few large rock formations and coming around to make a loop around Sylina's bike.

Suddenly, the Force and his ultimate senses screamed a warning, and he ducked down low to avoid two oncoming rocks that were hurling at him from out of nowhere. Regaining his altitude, he glared at Sylina, whose eyes were a murky brown as she used her power to telekinetically break off large sections of the canyon and throw them at him.

"Enough of that," Luke purred, and raced for her swoop, his shining blue eyes filled with determination and playful joy.

Sylina's eyes widened as the Surfer thundered towards her, and she tried to duck down low –

But found herself airborne and in the arms of Luke Skywalker himself.

"Skywalker, my bike, if you please."

Luke's eyes locked on the swoop; and in the next few seconds, it stalled and slowed to a stop.

Sylina looked at him. "Showoff." Even with that humorous statement, the Twi'lek could make it sound stately. Luke mused that she could make even the worst curse in the galaxy sound distinguished.

"I do my best," He replied smoothly. He lowered himself to the ground and gently set her down next to her bike. "Sylina, I'd love to spend more time with you, but I have to get home before my uncle becomes suspicious. Also, it's dangerous for the both of us to be together, seeing as how we're both mutants." He morphed into his normal body, the light breeze running through his sandy blonde hair.

The Twi'lek nodded solemnly. "I agree. I will leave Tatooine and go to the safest planet possible. However, I am unsure of which planet would be most suitable for my… needs."

"Alderaan," Luke spoke. "Go to Alderaan. I have a… friend there who will make sure you're safe and unnoticed."

Sylina eyed him. "Would this friend happen to know of your mutation?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "Very well. Alderaan it is."

Luke stared out into the canyon, feeling somewhat saddened. Although he had barely known the Lethan Twi'lek, he already knew that they would be good friends. Comrades, maybe, in the future.

"But how will I find this friend?" Sylina's voice said, breaking him out of his self-pitying.

Luke internally debated with himself for a moment before saying, "Go to the Alderaan Royal House. Ask for…" he paused, "Princess Leia."

The female mutant raised an eyebrow gracefully, if that was possible. "Princess Leia… you know her? How?"

"That's a story for another time," Luke said, sighing. "Maybe she'll tell you herself. She'll help you, I'm sure. Tell her that Luke sent you."

"I will. And I will begin searching for others like us. There must be more in hiding." As he nodded, she looked at him and held out a delicate, red hand. "Luke Skywalker, I hope that we will meet again."

Luke's face relaxed into a smile, and he firmly shook it. "It's been a pleasure, Sylina. May the Force be with you."

"And with you as well, my friend." Nodding once more, she seated herself on the swoop bike, waved, and raced off into the desert towards Mos Eisely spaceport.

Luke's smile fell into a frown as he thought of his uncle waiting for him. Sighing, he turned and teleported back near his home. As he ran down the steps into the pit of the house, he looked around for any sign of his uncle or aunt. Reaching into the Force to try and sense their presences, he turned and –

"LUKE SKYWALKER, where have you been?"

Luke cringed and turned to face his fuming uncle. "Uncle Owen! I was just checking the outer evaporators on the east side." He didn't like lying, but he didn't have a choice. It was for their own protection.

Owen didn't buy it, unfortunately. "Don't try lying to me, you little runt," he growled angrily.

Luke stiffened. He hated it when someone called him that. If his uncle only knew…

"I know that you've been sneaking out, and I want to know what you've been up to!"

Luke's stormy blue eyes flashed in anger, and his uncle swallowed, immediately remembering the way Anakin's had done that.

"I don't have to tell you anything, Uncle." Luke's voice wasn't cold, but it was impassive and yet firm and soft.

That only made Owen more furious. "You live under my roof, boy, and as long as you do, then you answer to me!"

"Well, maybe I won't live here anymore!" Luke said, his voice growing angry. "I'm frelling eighteen years old, Uncle Owen, and I have a right to live my own life now. I'm not a kid anymore, and you won't treat me as one, either."

Owen was livid. "You're staying for as long as I need you, boy!" He thundered.

Luke's expression became emotionless, and he straightened. "We'll see." He stormed past him and into the doorway that led to his room.

Owen stared after him, concerned and still seething. "Too much like that blasted father of his," he muttered.

* * *

**_TWO WEEKS LATER_**

Leia Organa stormed away from her overbearing aunts, her hands balled into fists. "Sometimes, I wish I could be a freelance smuggler or something like that," she muttered to herself. "I absolutely _hate _being dolled up like this!" Pausing by a small fountain, she stared at her reflection. Extremely displeased at what she was seeing, she reached up and wiped off as much of the makeup as she could with her sleeve.

"Mother," she whispered down to the fountain suddenly, "I will become a Jedi. This I swear. And I'll help bring Father back from the dark side. I will. I promise." She brought up a hand and curled it into a fist, her adamantium bones cracking with the movement of her fingers.

"Leia?"

Leia whisked around, startled, to see her father, well, adoptive father staring at her. "Hello, Father," she said, and quickly brought her hands behind her back.

Bail Organa's eyes narrowed. "What was that you were saying?"

"Saying? I didn't say anything," Leia lied.

Her father took a few steps closer. "You were talking to yourself."

"Really? Hmm, so I was. Well, I have to go… uh, redo my hair. I'll see you later!" Leia plastered a smile on her face and started to hurry off, but her father's arm shot out and grabbed hers, and he pulled her gently back to face him.

"Leia, you've been acting very strangely. First, you suddenly become violently ill and then ask for calcium pills – calcium pills, of all things. And now, a week later, you are exhibiting odd behavior and are scaring your mother and aunts."

Leia cringed, remembering the recent unpleasant incidents. "Look, Father, I'm sorry for snarling at them; I really don't know what came over me–"

"Leia, honey, you sounded just like a raging panther!" Her father exclaimed. "It was extremely unnatural, and you've been exhibiting this same odd behavior ever since you got better. You're _inhaling _your food in a most undignified manner, you're jumping around the palace and sneaking around, and your attitude keeps shifting most oddly. I don't know what to do with you!" Her father sighed.

Leia swallowed. He, of course, was referring to her growth in powers. Because they were developing, she was exhibiting traits of those powers; and it seemed, the personalities of the mutants who carried said powers. One, the powers of Feral, was making her act like a vicious feline. She would snarl, unexpectedly, for no reason and had been eating primarily fish and meat. That was for the first day. Another problem, caused by Elektra's powers, caused her to completely dominate her self-defense practice, overpowering her opponents in a matter of seconds. Leia had suddenly unleashed some shocking martial arts moves, much to the concern and astonishment of her teacher. She was also being unpredictable at times, and completely not herself.

From her nightly conversations with Luke and Elena over the past couple weeks, they had experienced the exact same problem.

She wondered what kind of disturbance this had created in the Force. But thank the Force that it was over.

But there was also some interesting news. The young Jedi-in-training that Elena had dealt with a few weeks ago had beena mutant.

It comforted Leia, in a way, to know that she and her siblings were not the only mutants in the galaxy. Yes, they might be the only mutants who could copy other mutant's powers, but not the only mutants.

That cheered her up, but it also got her thinking. Could there be more mutants spread throughout the galaxy?

"Leia!" Her father's angry voice brought her out of her thinking.

"I'm sorry, Father, I wasn't paying attention. What were you saying?" Leia blinked up at her father with doe brown eyes.

Bail scowled. "Leia, I think we should take you to see a doctor. Something might be wrong with you."

Leia's famous Skywalker temper instantly flared up. "There's nothing wrong with me!" She snapped, jerking her arm away in fury. "I'm perfectly fine!"

Bail stared at his daughter, disturbed and growing angry. "Leia Organa, how dare you talk to me that way!"

Leia's temper, fueled by the fact that he thought something was actually _wrong _with her, only grew when he said 'Organa' at the end of her name. "How dare you say that something's wrong with me!" Leia shouted back. "Because there isn't!"

She couldn't help but feel like one of the X-Men, mutants who were not accepted because of what they were. This must've been what it felt like to be so incredibly different and misunderstood.

"That's enough!" Bail roared. "You, young lady, will be grounded for the next week for speaking to me like that! No friends, no speeder-bikes, and no contacts with Elena Skywalker! I think that girl is having a bad influence on you."

Leia's eyes narrowed. "Fine," she hissed in a voice that didn't seem to be her own, and stormed off down the hall.

Bail stared after her, confused, upset, and suspicious. What was his daughter hiding?

Leia strode into her room, seething, and slammed the door shut behind her, throwing a fist into the door and denting it considerably. "Blasted humans!" She growled. "They don't understand! And how dare he talk about my sister like that!"

A beeping from her comm system caused her to turn. She moved over to it and smiled when she saw the ID number. Waving her hand at it, she waited a few seconds before she heard the familiar voice of her sister.

"Leia, what's up?"

Leia sighed. "Well, other than the fact that I just completely blew up at my father and nearly gave away my powers… not too good. This whole new ability growth thing is not working out well for me. Do you even know what kind of danger we could be in?"

"Believe me, I know. I'm having the same issue, and it's hard for me to control them. I've shut myself up in my room until this stage blows over. Which, I hope, will only be a few more days."

"Me, too," Leia said. "My father just grounded me because I lost my temper; and I'm actually not supposed to be talking to you."

Elena laughed. "Sounds just like you, sis."

"Yeah, well, he said that he doesn't want you to talk to me anymore, period. He thinks you're a bad influence on me."

There was a pause. "Actually, I think you're the bad influence on me."

Leia grinned. "Yes, well, I don't think he'll see it that way." She quickly sobered up and continued, "But I don't like the fact that he doesn't trust you."

"I don't either. Maybe he's afraid I'll tell Dad that you're my sister, but he's known that I know for four years now. But I wouldn't risk Dad finding out about you."

"I know that, Elena. We all know the risks. Maybe he thinks you're turning to the dark side from living with… Dad for so long." Leia had finally said it.

Elena was silent for a moment. "First, I don't know what in Palpatine's name would give him _that _impression; and second, you just called Dad 'Dad.'"

"Must be your bad influence on me," Leia joked weakly, inwardly debating with herself. "But he's getting suspicious. I don't know how much longer I can keep up this secret. Luke's having the same problem, too. You're lucky; Dad already knows of your powers, and you have an entire castle to subject those powers to. You don't have a family to hide from."

Elena made a noncommittal noise. "I see your point. Well, you could always come live with us, here at the Dark Lord's estate. There's plenty of room," she quipped.

"If only," Leia said, saddened by the fact that she couldn't live with her real family. Even if her father, well, was still a Sith lord. "Well, at least you and Luke live with real family. It's not that I don't love my father and mother," she added hastily, "but they don't understand. And they're always trying to make me become something I'm not."

"Which is?"

"A lady. I mean, I'm glad I'm in politics, but they're grooming me to be a fine lady. I don't want to be."

"You're a tomboy, Leia, through and through. I do see you becoming a dignified politician like Mom, but she was one tough woman. She wasn't a prim and proper lady all the time. She kicked serious butt," Elena said.

"I know. I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry," Elena said. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. Oh, yeah, I was wondering… would it be all right if I came and visited you for a while? I need to… get away."

Leia rubbed her temples. "I don't know, Elena, my father… he, I don't know if he'll let you see me anymore."

"I could talk to him, see if he'll loosen up."

"And if he doesn't, what then? I use the Professor's powers and just control his mind?" Leia snorted. "Yeah, like I'd ever do that."

"Then you, uh, run away?"

Leia pondered that for a moment. "That's actually not a bad idea," she said thoughtfully.

"I wasn't being serious, Leigh!"

"Oh."

After a momentary pause, Leia continued, "Wait, I have an idea."

"Uh-oh. That's not good. Excuse me while I run and hide under my covers."

Leia ignored her sister's teasing and said, "Seriously, listen. What if you were sent here, by your father, just on a temporary leave of absence?"

"What're you getting at? Why would I do that?" Elena asked.

Leia grinned. "Oh, I don't know. You need a change of scenery from those drab Coruscant high-rise buildings."

"Oh, now I see what you're thinking." Leia detected a grin in her sister's voice. "And you're absolutely right," Elena continued, her tone quickly changing to a more sober one, "I do need a vacation. Badly."

Leia frowned. "What's wrong?"

A sigh. "It's Jix."

"Jix? You mean that extremely handsome, roguish agent you were showing me holo photos of the other week? The one who had a big crush on you, and you on him? "

Elena sounded embarrassed. "Yeah, him. Things have gotten kinda… awkward between us."

"Oh, I see," Leia grinned conspiratorially. "Did he ask you out?"

"…Not exactly. I kinda…sorta…" she coughed, "it's, well, complicated. I'll tell you more when I see you."

"I'm sure you will. But I–" Leia was interrupted by a rap on her door and a female voice saying, "Leia! Leia, honey, are you all right?"

Leia groaned. "It's one of the terrible trio, my aunt Rouge! Sorry, I have to go."

"Understood. Elena out."

Leia quickly shut off her private comm system and said loudly as her aunt tapped on the door, "I'm coming, Aunt Rouge!" She pressed the button for the door to open and plastered a smile on her face.

Her aunt looked at her expectantly. "Leia Organa, what have I told you about raising your voice in the palace?"

"Don't do it?"

"Exactly!" Her aunt beamed, and stepped inside. "Leia, your father, myself, and your mother and your aunts are worried about you. Are you feeling well, dear?"

Leia glared. "Why is everyone treating me like an invalid? I'm perfectly well, thank you." She gracefully seated herself by her desk.

Aunt Rouge followed her and stood in front of her. "We're just concerned, darling, that you're not acting like a proper princess."

"What if I don't want to be a fine lady princess?" Leia demanded. "It seems like Father dearest, Mother, and you only want me to be what _you _want me to be. What if I want to be something else?"

Aunt Rouge was puzzled. "Something else like what, darling? A fine lady is what you need to become if you want to have a place in politics."

Leia sighed in frustration. "You don't have to be a fine lady and dress up all the time to be a politician, Auntie. You have to know what you're doing."

"I know, dear, but we only want what's best for you."

"That's debatable," Leia muttered.

Aunt Rouge frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but then Leia's door buzzer rang.

"Who is it?" Leia called, ignoring her aunt's scowl of displeasure.

A male voice came from the other side. "Princess, I wish to speak with you." It was a guard, Leia sensed.

"Honestly, bothering the Princess like this," her aunt sniffed. "Ignore him. We must continue our discussion."

Leia stood up quickly and opened the door. "Yes, what is it?" She asked.

The guard bowed. "There's someone here to see you. She says she needs to speak with Princess Leia about an important matter."

Leia frowned. "Who in world's name…" she trailed off. "Did she say who she was or what the matter was?"

"No, she wished to speak with you privately."

"Has she been scanned for weapons?"

"Yes, Milady. She has nothing on her. She is a Twi'lek female."

Leia was now interested. "Tell her I will be there at once."

The guard nodded, bowed, and left.

Aunt Rouge instantly protested against it. "Leia, my dear, don't go! It could be an assassin!"

Leia smirked. "Even if she were, I'm certain I could take her on." She stepped out and walked down the hall, inwardly laughing at her aunt's horrified gasp. She went down into the main waiting hall, where she saw a beautiful, regal looking Lethan Twi'lek female.

The Twi'lek saw her and rose gracefully to her feet, bowing. "Your Highness." Her voice was a smooth, deep tenor.

"Yes, I am she. You said you wished to speak with me?"

"Not here. We must talk in private. This is a very delicate matter." Everything about the Twi'lek reeked of dignity and poise. If she were an assassin, she would have to be an excellent acrobat.

Leia, intrigued, nodded and waved her guards away. "I'll be all right." At a look from them, she frowned. "You may go now!"

The guards shook their heads.

"Fine," Leia said, irritated, "Please, follow me." She led the Twi'lek into another room and shut the door, locking it behind the two of them. Then, turning around, she said, "What is it that is so urgent? And who are you?"

The Twi'lek gazed at her steadily. "My name is Element. And I am a mutant."

* * *

_**Argh, I wanted to get more in but not make it too long a chapter. Oh, well. Nice ending, though. Anyhoo, more exciting stuff coming up next chapter... introducing a new Sith apprentice!! Mwa ha ha ha... can't wait. Don't forget!! All questions can be submitted to my forum!!  
**_

_**Don't forget to review!! Just no flaming. Flamers will be ignored. Or flamed by other nice reviewers who get mad. **_

_**MtFbwy,**_

_**- Serena Kenobi **_


	16. Not Alone

**Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**_Author's note: SO sorry for not having updated in a long time... busy, busy, busy!! But I got a lot of this story done, so that's great. THANK YOU to all who reviewed... and welcome newcomers!! To Super Tinfoil Man Part 2 - don't worry, Elena is not going to turn into a Phoenix and die five times. Nuh-uh. Yes, she will use Phoenix's powers, but not be like Jean Grey. Just to let ya know. Here's the next chapter, and don't forget to review! Oh yeah, PippinBaggins, do you mind if I continue to use Spectre? I'm SO sad you're not continuing your story at the moment, but since I think Darcy is such a great character, I'd love to use him again. With your permission, of course. _**

**_Disclaimer: I own Star Wars. Right, and I also own three Ferraris. (Bursts into laughter) _**

* * *

****

Leia's mouth fell open in astonishment. "What?" She whispered.

The Twi'lek's mouth twitched upwards. "I believe you are acquainted with a being known as the Silver Surfer, Princess."

Leia was still trying to absorb the first part. "Hang on," she said, "just give me a minute. So you're a… mutant?"

"Yes. I am called Element because I am able to manipulate air, earth, water, and fire. However," the woman smiled, "the name that was given to me is Sylina Valcana."

Leia reached out with the Force and sensed that the woman was telling the truth. But suddenly something hit her. "Did you just say you know someone called the Silver Surfer?"

The lady nodded. "Indeed. It was he who rescued me and told me to come to you for help."

Leia smiled. Of course. Her brother. "Well, Miss Valcana, you have come to the right place. I will be glad to help you in any way."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I would appreciate it if I could be placed in a section of Alderaan where I would go unnoticed."

"You want to go underground, of course," Leia nodded. "Do you have any money?"

Sylina shook her head. "Not much. A few credits."

"Well, I will arrange for you to have an apartment, or whatever you want, and everything you'll need. I know that I have no real reason to trust you, but my brother is the best man I have ever known; and his judgment of character is also the best. If he trusts you, I trust you."

The Twi'lek's face betrayed surprise. "You are… Luke's sister?"

Leia smiled. "You and he are not the only people with gifts," she said.

Sylina smiled. "Then you are a mutant as well. I see that I am in good hands."

"Yes, you are. Now, come, let's find you a room here until we can find you your own place. Are you hungry?" Leia led Sylina out of the room, ignoring the guards who had been posted just outside.

"I wouldn't wish to impose…" Sylina began, but Leia waved her comment aside.

"Nonsense, you're as welcome to me as family would be," the Princess scoffed. "I'll find you a room." She entered the turbolift with the Twi'lek beside her.

* * *

Bail Organa walked down one of the bright hallways, with a wall on one side and complete windows on the other. He was reading some more data on Elena Skywalker from one of his spies working in Vader's palace. According to the spy's latest updates, she hadn't done anything out of the ordinary for a teenage student. She was just a kid.

With a Sith Lord for a father.

Bail shuddered. Elena was a lost cause. She would eventually show her true powers and unleash them on any unfortunate victim. It was only a matter of time. And Leia would stay as far away from her as possible. At first, he hadn't minded that the two were friends. They hardly saw one another, and Leia was busy with school.

But as they got older, they began talking with each other through the long-range comm system, sometimes conversing for hours at a time. It seemed that Leia was growing closer to the Sith Lord's daughter, and Bail didn't like it one bit.

What frightened Bail even more was that Elena already knew that Leia was her sister. And it was only a matter of time before she told her that they were related.

He couldn't let that happen. There was too much at stake. But now that Elena was coming to Alderaan for what she claimed was a diplomatic meeting between planetary princesses, he had no choice but to follow protocol and allow the Sith Lord's daughter to visit.

"You can stay in this room, Sylina."

Bail heard his daughter's voice up ahead, and he picked up his pace to find out whom Leia was talking to. He stopped when he saw her opening the door to a guest room and showing a red-skinned, female Twi'lek inside. He frowned. What was Leia doing?

"Leia!" His strong voice said as he walked towards them.

Leia balked and stared at her father. "Father," she collected herself.

Bail looked from her to the Twi'lek and said, "Leia, who is this?"

"This is Sylina Valcana, she's a friend of mine," Leia said smoothly; "She'll be staying with us until I can find her an apartment in the city somewhere. It'll only be for a few nights. Is that all right with you?"

Bail eyed the silent Twi'lek. "I don't recall you ever mentioning this young lady," he finally said suspiciously.

"We have a long-distance communications relationship," Sylina spoke, her voice low and calm, almost a purr. "It's my first time here on Alderaan. But if you are uncomfortable with me staying at the palace–"

Bail shook his head tiredly. This was the last thing he needed to deal with. "No, no, that's all right. You're quite welcome here, Miss Valcana."

Sylina nodded gracefully. "Thank you, Prince Organa."

Bail nodded. "Oh, and Leia," he said, sounding tired, "Princess Skywalker is coming to the palace to call on you. A typical proper meeting between princesses."

He inwardly cringed as Leia's face lit up.

"That's wonderful!" She exclaimed. "When will she be here?"

"She will not be staying long," her father said shortly, "Only a week at the most. She'll be here in a few days." He shot a forced smile at his daughter and strode on down the hall. But as he continued to walk away, he suddenly had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. A feeling that said Leia was up to something.

Uh-oh. He had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"It's just a diplomatic meeting," Elena informed her father, "I'll be back in a few weeks. Senator Organa won't want me staying that long, but I personally don't care what he thinks. Leia might change his mind, and by the time three weeks rolls around, he probably won't even have remembered that I'm there."

Vader crossly watched as his daughter finished packing – he didn't want her to be away for so long, and who knew how many people wanted to kill her because of him? But he didn't have much of a choice. Elena desperately wanted to see her friend, Princess Leia, and although Organa hadn't liked it, he had to let Elena come because she was a diplomatic Imperial Princess from Coruscant coming to see the Princess of Alderaan. It was made out to be a business situation, but Vader knew better. He knew that Bail did, too.

"I just don't like you leaving for so long," Vader protested. "What if someone tries to take you as a hostage?"

Elena smiled at him – that smile that was so much like Padmé's and his in one – and said, "Dad, don't worry. How could I possibly get hurt?" She patted his shoulder and shut her suitcase. "Besides, if anyone tries to hurt me, I'll just–"

"Run them through with your lightsabers, yes."

Elena stared at him with her blue eyes, which had come back a week after her episode, as did her blonde hair. "Are you… worried about me?"

"Shouldn't I?" Vader snapped.

"Well, yes, but, it's not like a Sith Lord to worry about someone."

Vader knew he should be concerned about his growing feelings, but he wasn't. And that was disturbing. "Never mind that," he waved her statement aside, "I just want you to be on the lookout for anything unusual."

"I will. And thanks, Dad."

Vader stood there, silent, and suddenly began fidgeting with something in his hand.

"Hey, is everything okay?" she asked, frowning. Her father was not the hesitant type.

He nodded and continued to look at his hands. "Yes."

She waited patiently for a second. "Is… there a reason why you're standing there?"

"What? Oh… yes… um…" he fumbled for the right words, eventually just giving up and sighing. "I think you should have this." He opened his hand and held it out. In his palm, there was the japor snippet he had given to Padmé so many years ago. Elena stared at it and looked up at him, touched.

"Dad… I… thank you so much," she answered, throat closing up. "I can't believe you're giving this to me."

"I think _she_, your mother, would have wanted me to give it to you," he replied quietly. "Here." He placed it into her hand and covered her small one with his. "Put it somewhere safe," he continued, clearing his throat.

She nodded. "I will. Thank you." She put a hand on his arm.

"Be careful," was all her father answered.

Elena grinned faintly. "Can't promise you that," she shook her head, "I'm a Skywalker. But I'll try. Good night, Father." She kissed his cheek and crawled into bed.

Anakin looked at her for a moment before turning around and silently walking out of the room, disappearing behind the shadowed door.

Elena took off in her N-1 fighter the next morning before the artificial sun had risen. Her father had seen her off, but Jix was nowhere to be seen. She was incredibly hurt that he hadn't shown, as he normally would when she went off-planet, but at the same time relieved. She didn't want to think about him right now.

* * *

"You have done well, my young apprentice," a silky smooth voice purred.

"Thank you, my master." This voice was young, deep, and pleasant, but held a hint of unreleased fury and menace.

The cloaked figure stared out of the large set of windows that overlooked the cityscape of Imperial Center. His yellow eyes were set into an old, hideous face, which was smiling evilly. "You are ready," the Emperor said.

The young man standing some feet behind him bowed. "What is it you ask of me, my master?"

"Destroy young Skywalker."

"Lord Vader's daughter?" The young man's enticing hazel-green eyes that would enchant any female bored into the back of the Emperor. "Is she also not being trained in the dark side?"

The Emperor snarled. "Lord Vader has been neglectful of her training," he hissed. "Either you will bring her to the dark side or you destroy her. Do not fail me, Darth Kier."

Kier knew the consequences of failure and only bowed in return before sweeping out of the room, his long black cloak trailing behind him.

The Emperor smiled once more. "You are failing me, Lord Vader," he said softly, coldly, "and your usefulness is draining. My new apprentice will make sure that you are brought to your knees before me once more." He cackled.

* * *

Leia stared over the beautiful, limpid waters of the Alderaan Royal Family's private lake, her satiny chestnut locks whipping into her face. She reached up and pushed a stray curl back, registering the breeze that wasn't caused by natural forces.

"Amazing, is it not, Princess?"

Leia turned, and not for the first time, wished she had inherited her father's height or her mother's gracefulness. Compared to Sylina, Leia felt short and clumsy, not at all like a Royal Princess. It was often that her friend, Winter, who appeared every bit the royal, was mistaken for her. If there was one thing Leia wished she had inherited from her father, it was height.

"Yes, incredible," Leia nodded, pushing away her irritated thoughts. "Do you enjoy using this element?"

Element nodded, smiling. "Indeed. It is most refreshing. But my skills are lacking in the aquatic area. I need to focus my attentions towards that area."

Leia's deep brown eyes searched the mountains, the trees, and finally the great crystal blue sky above. "I need to concentrate on my abilities overall," she admitted. "My control isn't what it should be."

"I have some meditation exercises that may be able to help you," the Twi'lek offered.

"Are you a Jedi?"

Element shook her head. "No. Luckily, the Emperor never picked up my Force-sensitivity, and I remained anonymous. But I prefer to focus more on my mutant talents right now."

"I have to do both," Leia said. "But Luke and Elena are helping with that." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She froze.

Element turned her head towards the Princess. "I believe you just said 'Elena.' Are you, in fact, referring to Elena Skywalk…?" She trailed off. "Oh." Sylina turned back to face the lake as Leia rubbed her temples. "Oh, I see."

"You can't tell anyone," Leia said through clenched teeth. "It's hard enough as it is trying to keep this a secret between the three of us." She wouldn't even bother mentioning Mara right now.

Sylina looked offended. "I swear, you will not hear another word about it pass through my lips without your consent," she said. "I can't help but be … shocked. If that is true, then who is your real father?"

Leia didn't answer, and that was enough for Sylina.

"Ah. Your father is Lord Va–"

"_My _father is _Anakin Skywalker,_" Leia cut in sharply, glaring at her. "Darth Vader will never be my father. My father was a Jedi Knight, a respected member of the Jedi Order."

Sylina nodded almost imperceptibly. "Of course. Forgive me, I didn't mean to upset you."

"No," Leia sighed. "It's all right. I'm just… it's just hard. You know, for me to adapt to all of this. I only learned this information around a year ago. I'm still having trouble… accepting who I am and who my connections are. My relatives, anyways."

"How is that you communicate with your brother without avoiding detection?" Sylina wondered.

"Force-visions. We get them nearly every night. The Force is allowing us to train together, providing us with lightsabers, places to go: everything. We can change things with our minds, such as our surroundings and so on, and we've been doing it for, well, Luke and Elena started long before I did."

Sylina reached out and caused the water in front of her to begin swirling in an oval, creating a small whirlpool. "You have an interesting family," she finally said.

"Don't I know it," Leia quipped, breaking into a grin.

After a short but comfortable silence, Sylina dropped her hand down and said, her voice low, "Your friend Winter is coming."

Leia turned towards the direction of the palace, and sure enough, Winter came striding down the path.

"Your Highness," the graceful young woman bowed shortly but beautifully. "I've come to tell you that Imperial Princess Lady Elena Skywalker, daughter of Lord Darth Vader–"

"Winter," Leia interrupted, "you don't have to be so formal with the titles – I already know who she is."

Winter nodded. "Of course. Your father has charged me with telling you that Lady Skywalker has arrived at the palace."

"She's here?" Leia's eyes lit up. "Now? Oh, that's wonderful – thank you, Winter! Come, Sylina, I want you to meet her." Despite the dress she was wearing, she jogged back towards the palace.

Winter and Sylina exchanged glances before following her at a much more graceful, slower pace.

* * *

Anakin Skywalker strode through the castle hallways until he came to the room with his now rarely used meditation chamber, where he sensed Jix already waiting for him. "It appears as if you've managed to evade the security systems of this castle once again, Jixton," he said, slightly annoyed.

Jix's grin didn't match his eyes. "Hey, I thought I was part of the family by now, Uncle D," he remarked.

"Indeed. But you undoubtedly know why I called you here." Anakin took triumph from seeing Jix swallow, his eyes flashing with fear. Good. He deserved it. "I wish to know how you feel about my daughter." There. He'd said it.

Jix's eyes widened ever so slightly, but he tried to play it cool. "What can I say? She's a good kid. Annoying teenager sometimes, but I guess that's normal."

Anakin was growing angrier, and his breathing through his suit grew louder. "Enough with the lies, Jixton, I want you to tell me the truth," he snapped.

Jix's eyes flashed again, this time with anger. "I don't know what you're talking about," he growled.

"Yes, you do. Elena's been upset ever since you disappeared on her during her period of illness; now I want you to tell me how you really feel or I will force it out of you!"

"Go ahead!"

"Don't make me hurt you, Jixton."

Jix's fists clenched. "That's just it, isn't it? No matter what I say, you'll kill me anyways."

"That remains to be seen. Answer the question."

The Imperial agent had had enough. "What d'ya want me to say?" He roared. "_Huh_? That I think she's amazing? That I think she's the most incredible girl I've ever met? That I'm kriffin' _IN LOVE WITH HER_!?" He was fuming and looking as if he was ready to punch the Sith Lord with both hands at once.

Anakin grinned under his mask. "Very well then." He turned and started to leave the room.

Jix gaped after him. "Wait," he protested, "what d'ya mean, 'very well then'? Does this mean… does this mean you're okay with me and her… together?"

Anakin was pleased that the usually rebellious and irritating agent was uncertain. He held all the cards now. He just had to play them right. "I will tell you this now, Jixton," he said, "I think you're irritating, incredibly aggravating, and downright insolent."

"Yeah, so you keep telling me."

"But my daughter is in love with you, and if she wants to have a relationship with you, then I won't stand in her way. She's an adult now, capable of making her own decisions."

"But you're her father. Aren't you supposed to be chasing guys like me away?"

"Jixton, you're not helping your case," Anakin reminded him, amused.

"Yeah, yeah. But you're not gonna choke me if you see me kissin' her, are you?"

Anakin's helmet turned back to face Jix. "I will if I see you trying to do anything _more _than kiss her, Jixton." With that, he turned. "Oh, and Jixton. I have another assignment for you."

Jix's handsome face broke into a grin, completely out of relief. He relaxed, shrugging back into his normal cocky self. "Whaddya got for me, Uncle D?"

Anakin then seriously reconsidered his previous statement. But no, he sighed, if Elena loved him, he wouldn't ruin her chances of happiness. He couldn't stand in their way. He understood where they were coming from. After all, he didn't want them sneaking around on him, even though he knew that Elena would never do that. She was too loyal.

And that might end up one day being her ultimate downfall, he thought grimly.

* * *

Elena set her ship down and leaped out of the cockpit, landing perfectly on the hangar bay floor. Looking around, she saw a dozen Royal guards coming towards her, and in the middle of them was none other than Bail Organa himself, looking worried and frustrated.

_Oh joy. And just when I thought I had gotten away from stress…_

"Prince Organa," Elena smiled, bowing in the typical Jedi fashion. "It's wonderful to see you again."

Unfortunately for her, Bail wasn't as friendly. "Lady Skywalker," he said gravely, "I must ask that you keep this visit short and to the point, as Princess Leia has duties that she must attend to. She cannot afford to get behind in her training."

Elena, though she didn't show it, was incredibly hurt at his standoffish behavior. Gone were the innocent days when she had been a young girl, naïve and unaware. "Oh," she said, trying not to sound too disappointed. "Well, I apologize for intruding on your schedule, and I won't trespass on your hospitality for too long." She bowed again.

Bail cleared his throat uncomfortably, as if he was embarrassed by his coldness, but he quickly regained his composure. "Yes, well, I'll have a servant show you to your room. I must see to some business, but I'll see you for dinner. Good day, Your Highness." He nodded and walked away, leaving half the guards still with her.

She was escorted halfway through the palace when her sister came bursting through a large set of doors, her brown eyes searching the grand room before her.

"Elena!" Leia exclaimed, striding up to her, "it's so good to see you again."

Elena grinned widely and moved forward, embracing her sister in a large hug. "Leia, I've missed you so much. I'm sorry, I've just been so busy. You know how it is." She pulled back.

Leia studied her slightly younger sister and frowned. "You look so pale, Elena, you need something to eat. Come on," she took her hand, "you can have something in my room. I'll show you your room myself." She turned to the guards. "You can go now." As they bowed, turned, and left the two alone, Leia smiled. "How've you been?"

Elena shrugged. "Can't complain. Your father, uh, doesn't seem all that pleased to see me. He said you're going to be very busy while I'm here."

"I'm sure." Leia rolled her eyes. "Oh, wait, there's someone I think you should meet." She motioned to the two tall women entering through the door. "Elena, I'd like you to meet my dear friend, Winter."

Winter curtseyed gracefully.

"Your Highness, a pleasure to meet you," she said pleasantly.

"And, also," Leia turned to the Twi'lek, "I would like to introduce you to Sylina Valcana, a guest here."

Sylina gazed at Elena steadily for a moment before bowing. "Milady, the Princess has spoken nothing but good of you."

Elena bowed in return. "Thank you. An honor to meet you both."

Winter looked at Leia and said, "If you'll excuse me, Your Highnesses, there are some things I must see to." She curtseyed and left the room, leaving the three mutants alone.

Leia glanced from Sylina to Elena and grinned. "Let's go to my room," she said. "We won't be disturbed there. Much, anyways." She led the two through the palace until she came to her room; and she palmed the door open and stepped inside, shutting it behind Elena. "There," she sighed. "Now we can talk."

"I must confess, I was eager to see the famous daughter of the Sith up close," Sylina admitted, a small smile gracing her face.

Elena shrugged good-naturedly. "Not much to see," she joked. "Behind the façade of a dangerous Imperial Princess, I'm just a normal mutant with a Sith Lord for a father and training to be a Jedi."

Sylina sat down on one of the couches across from the sisters. "You have the same abilities as Luke, then?" She asked them.

Elena's face betrayed sadness. "You've met Luke?" She said softly.

Leia nodded. "Yes. Luke saved her from a gang of bounty hunters, and she learned that he was a mutant."

"After we grew more friendly, he told me to come see Princess Leia," Sylina explained. "And she, in turn, told me everything."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Everything? Leia, I didn't take you to be so trusting," she teased.

"I didn't–"

"Leia, I was joking," Elena quickly said, shooting her only sister a smile.

Leia grinned. "Well, why shouldn't I trust Sylina? If she were a danger, I could've just read her mind and taken her out."

Sylina blinked, and then smiled. "I'm sure you could."

* * *

It was midnight, and three figures were hidden under the cover of the darkness. They were in an old, abandoned building on the edge of Alderaan's capital city, and they were alone.

"We can't just go out there and risk being caught," one of the people hissed, her red eyes flashing.

"What else are we supposed to do?" One of her companions demanded harshly, "We've been sitting here for days now doing nothing. How long are we going to wait before we speak with them?"

"We don't know if we can trust them," the female Zabrak hissed in return, leaning forward intently. "We should wait until we are sure they are who we think they are."

The half Kiffar male who looked human except for the yellow line running across his upper face, pressed his lips firmly together, a sign that he wasn't pleased. "My father knew Skywalker," he said softly. "He trusted him."

"And look where that got him," the Zabrak snapped.

The young man's eyes flashed, and his dark locks fell in front of his face. "We should trust them. They're not of the dark side any more than we are. I would've sensed it by now if they were."

"Not all of us are Force-sensitive, Korto." A large, hulking shadow that had been sitting silent for the past ten minutes now spoke and moved forward silently, slowly. The shadow's voice was obviously male, and it was a deep, accented baritone.

The human male turned his piercing gaze towards his friend. "I know, Traashal. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound condescending. I just don't think waiting here is the answer to our problems."

"What do you want to do?" Khandrr asked Traashal, fixing her rather menacing gaze on the other male.

Traashal, a tall, large Kaleesh, was silent for a moment. "I think we should wait a few more days before journeying into the capital," he finally suggested. "If nothing happens, we will speak with the Princess and ask her for help."

"Who says we need any help?" Khandrr demanded. "Why not just stay here? Form our own alliances with others without the help of a princess?"

"She's not just any princess."

The three darted to their feet and whisked around at the sound of a new, unidentified voice coming from behind them. In the darkness, they couldn't see much, but from what they could see, it was a lone figure. Apparently, he hadn't brought any backup.

Korto stared hard at the new figure. "Who are you?" He inquired, suspicious. He reached for his hidden lightsaber but didn't draw it out. He wanted information first.

The figure stepped forward once. "I am Hirsh'chall, Clan Baikh'vair. I had come here in the belief that there were… others like me here."

"Like you? What you do mean?" Korto pressed.

The Noghri seemed to debate with himself for a moment. "I am not sure what to call it…" he trailed off.

"A mutant?" Khandrr spoke, eyeing the Noghri with great interest.

The Noghri nodded slowly. "Yes… a mutant."

Korto studied the newcomer, reaching out into the Force, looking for any sign of bad intent. He found none. "I'm Korto," he said, taking a few steps toward Hirsh'chall. "Korto Vos. And these," he motioned behind him, "are my friends, Khandrr, a Zabrak, and Traashal, a Kaleesh. We're all mutants, like you. We came here looking for others like us."

Hirsh'chall's eyes sparkled. "Did you feel it? The disturbance?" He licked his sharp, gleaming teeth.

Korto nodded. "We all felt it. That's why we came here."

"The mutant that caused the disturbance sent out a signal to all other mutants within range," Khandrr added, "and since we didn't know if there were any others like us, we all met each other here."

The Noghri looked at them. "Clan Vader is also here," he informed them. "The Imperial Princess is staying at the palace."

"How did you know that?" Korto inquired.

"I live closer to Imperial Center than you, Jedi," Hirsh'chall explained, ignoring the look of surprise on Korto's face. "I believe there is more to the daughter of Vader than has been revealed. She is hiding something. Hiding, undoubtedly, the same secret as Princess Leia."

Korto sucked in a breath, inwardly reeling from shock. He glanced at his companions, whose faces also betrayed the same emotion. "You don't mean… you're not saying… Elena Skywalker is a… she's a mutant?"

Hirsh'chall gazed at him. "Yes. I believe so."

Khandrr swore under her breath. "Do you think that's the reason she came here? Maybe to ask Princess Leia to join her?"

Korto frowned. "I don't think she would do that," he remarked thoughtfully. "So far, I haven't detected any darkness coming from her. But then, she does live with a Sith Lord."

"A Sith Lord who saved our people," Hirsh'chall hissed through his teeth.

The Kaleesh moved closer to the other males. "He and the Emperor were manipulating your people," he explained, tusks gleaming in the soft moonlight. "But that doesn't matter now. What does matter is we need to contact the Princess – perhaps both – and see what they know and if they are willing to help us."

"Perhaps we should turn in for the rest of the night," Korto suggested, sitting back down into a meditative position. "It's been a long night for all of us."

The others agreed and copied his action.

Korto closed his eyes and hoped that he was making the right decision.

* * *

_**Oh-ho, I couldn't resist. And yes, if you're wondering, Korto Vos is a real Star Wars character. I didn't create him. But I did make up all the others! Go me. **_

_**I have the rewritten story on the Force (dot) net's fanfiction archive, so you can check it out there! And reviews would be lovely. Hint, hint!**_

_**MtFbwy,**_

_**-Serena Kenobi ** _


	17. Mutant

**Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**Author's note: _I decided to finally update this story. LOVED all of your reviews. Super Tinfoil Man, don't worry. Although I will have Elena using Jean's powers, she will not be dying and coming back to life every five seconds. It does get old. Pippin, thanks for letting me use Darcy. He'll be coming up in just a few short chapters. Maybe even the next one. pooh pooh, your review made me laugh - mutant party indeed! Kinda like that. phantom-jedi1: I love FF and Silver Surfer - he's probably one of my top top favs. I ADORE the FF2 movie - you seen it? You could try the Marvel website - they have all the X-Men there. Annikin9012: Always welcome new readers! I'm glad that you like it so much! Thanks! To Angel Sanada, RavenRulzRF, MJLS, and WeJm 18: Thank you for reviewing! And don't worry - a duel between Elena and Kier will be coming up soon!!  
_**

**_Disclaimer: I own no one but my own characters._ **

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen  
**

Elena's eyes opened to slits, and she shut them again, wanting to block out the sunlight that was now streaming into her room.

"Elena… Elena, c'mon, sis, wake up!" Leia shook her sister, grinning.

Elena groaned and buried her head deeper into her pillow. "Go away," she grumbled.

Leia poked her side. "Don't be such a grouchy Gungan," she chastised her, "come on, it's time to get up. We have a lot to do today."

"Like _what_?"

Leia sighed. "Element wants to practice fighting with other mutants. We're going down to the private lake, but we have to go before the Terrible Trio finds me. Or my father pulls me away from you with some lame excuse."

Elena muttered something incoherent and simply pulled her covers up tighter.

Leia scowled at her sister. "I'll give you five minutes or I'll–"

Elena's body disappeared in a puff of blue smoke.

Leia sighed.

A second later, she _bamphed _back into the room, completely clothed and ready to go. "You were saying?" Elena said, grinning innocently.

Leia shook her head. "You're impossible, Elena," she grumbled, walking out of the room. "C'mon. Sylina's waiting for us."

The girls met Element outside on the palace grounds, and from there, they walked to the private lake where Sylina and Leia had been talking before.

"You're sure no one will see us?" Elena said, eyeing her surroundings doubtfully.

"Yes."

"Completely sure?"

"Yes."

"So sure that you'd stake your life on it?"

"Ye – no! What kind of a question is that, Elena Skywalker?" Leia demanded, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at her sister.

Sylina smiled, amused.

Elena shrugged. "How should I know?"

* * *

Two hours later and the sisters showed no signs of tiring. However, their companion was growing weary from all of their exercising and training.

"Do you two ever get tired?" Sylina asked, wiping a band of sweat that was glistening on her red forehead off.

Leia and Elena looked at each other.

"Uh, not really," Elena confessed, "it comes with being able to copy everybody else's powers. Take Quicksilver, for example. He never gets tired."

Sylina smiled faintly. "Sometimes I wish I were as powerful as you," she admitted, somewhat ashamed.

Leia frowned. "Don't be," she said, her tone somber, "All this power… it's extremely hard to control. Don't think that I don't think that you couldn't control it, but…" she trailed off. "There are a lot of times when I wish I didn't have all this responsibility thrust upon me."

" 'With great power comes great responsibility,'" Elena quoted, breaking into a grin.

Leia nodded, her mouth twitching upwards. "Yes, exactly."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Traashal hissed as he crouched as low as his hulking form would allow beside Korto.

The young man's steely grey eyes swept the area in front of him and rested on the three females standing around twenty or so yards away from his position.

The female Zabrak shot an irritated look to her human friend. "Korto Vos, you worry too much," she whispered harshly. "And don't forget, this was _your _idea."

"I know, I know! But look at them!" Korto nodded to the females. "They're… well, you see what they're doing!"

Traashal's yellow eyes rested upon one of the human females, who was at the moment spewing flame from her hand. In the next few seconds, her entire body turned into fire, and she rose from the ground, apparently unharmed.

"She's… flying!" Khandrr breathed, staring in shock at the inflamed girl.

All of a sudden, the flame disappeared as if snuffed out, but the girl stayed floating in the air, her blonde hair flying into her face as the only non-human female appeared to gather the wind itself around her and blast it at the girl.

"That's Elena Skywalker," Korto said quietly. "I've seen her on the HoloNet." His eyes flickered to the other two. "I don't know who the Twi'lek is, but I'm sure the other human is Princess Leia."

Hirsh'chall sniffed, his intimidating face bowing low to the ground. "It's too far for me to pick up a scent," he remarked. "I'll have to get closer."

Khandrr sighed impatiently. "This is pointless," she growled, "We should've stayed in the warehouse." She began to back away as if to leave, but Korto abruptly snatched her hand, his gaze fixed upon the females before him.

"Wait."

Khandrr knew him well enough to know when he was serious, and she obeyed, becoming still.

Traashall glanced at his friend. "What is it?"

Korto seemed to be concentrating hard. His face became drawn, and his eyebrows furrowed. His eyes slid shut, and then flew open as his face grew suddenly pale. "Uh-oh."

"This isn't a time for 'uh-ohs', Korto," Khandrr hissed.

Korto stared at the Princesses and Twi'lek. "They know. They know we're here."

Traashal's face expressed deep concern. "We have to get out of here before they contact the Royal Guard," he said, and began to creep away, Hirsh'chall and Khandrr following him. Korto looked at him, back to the Princesses, and began to turn away with his friends –

"Now why would we wanna contact _them_?" A distinct voice asked, coming from their right.

The group halted and turned to see a young woman with dark brown hair; two white streaks of it falling in front of her face, standing there, casually resting against a tree. "I mean," she continued, her voice heavily tinted with an unfamiliar accent, "that'd be just givin' us away, and we wouldn't wanna do that, now would we?"

Korto stood, eyeing the girl warily. He instantly noticed that her body was clothed from head to toe; even long black gloves covered her hands. "Who are you?" He questioned.

The girl smiled. "Ah'm Rogue. An' you look kinda familiar." She frowned thoughtfully. "You remind me of an old Jedi Master that survived the Purges."

Korto stiffened at the mention of his beloved father. "I'm Korto Vos, Jedi Knight," he said proudly.

The girl's eyes widened, and her gaze flickered to his lightsaber. "Ah knew that he survived," she whispered. "But Ah didn't know that he had a son."

Korto nodded, still wary of this slip of a girl. But who knew if she was a trained assassin?

Khandrr stepped forward, staring coldly at the girl. "What are you doing here?"

"What're you doin' here?" Rogue asked, her head cocking to one side as she grinned.

"I'm not answering to you," Khandrr hissed, "you might be a spy for the Empire."

The girl shook her head. "Nope, Ah'm not. Ah'm actually just like you."

Korto raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Ah take it y'all are mutants?"

Korto slowly nodded. "Yes. I suppose that means you are, too. Did you come looking for the Princess?"

Rogue smiled as if she held the greatest secret of all. "Somethin' along those lines, darlin'. But Ah'm really surprised that y'all are mutants. Ah thought that maybe we were the only ones."

"We?" Khandrr echoed. "What do you mean?"

Rogue shrugged. "Well, Ah thought that the Princess and myself were the only mutants, an' the Twi'lek. Ah didn't know there were so many others like us."

"You know the Princess?" Traashal asked, moving closer as he spoke for the first time.

Rogue's gaze showed interest as she noticed him and Hirsh'chall for the first time. "Yeah, Ah do. Matter of fact," she pushed herself away from the tree, "she's standin' right behind you."

Korto wheeled around to face Princess Leia and Elena Skywalker. He took a step backward, his lightsaber clenched firmly in his hand.

The Princess of Alderaan looked at him, her eyes revealing interest and slight suspicion. "What were you doing spying on us?" She demanded.

Khandrr came up next to Korto. "We were looking for you," she said, "but we're not Imps. Not like _her,_" she said, her voice low as she glanced at Elena.

The Imperial Princess raised her eyebrows, but Korto noticed that her eyes were lit with a strange fire as her stormy blue eyes rested on him. "You're the son of famed Jedi Master Quinlan Vos," she said quietly. Reaching out a hand, she continued, "It's an honor to meet the son of such a great Jedi, and a fellow Jedi Knight. And now, it seems, a mutant as well."

Korto took the hand and grasped it firmly. "You mean you're a mutant?"

The girl nodded, grinning. "Yes. You've already seen some of my powers." Her eyes turned to Rogue. "Thanks for the help, Rogue," she nodded.

Rogue smiled knowingly; and to the shock of the rest of the group, besides Leia and the Twi'lek, she morphed into none other than Elena Skywalker. The next second, it seemed as if she were sucked right into the real Elena, who smiled.

Korto gaped. "H-how did you do that?"

"Rogue wasn't a real person," Princess Leia explained. "Well, not real in the sense of the word. She was a copy of Elena, who was using Multiple Man's power. But since all the copies of Elena, and myself, are copies, they can do what we can, and Elena's copy morphed into comic book heroine Rogue."

Traashal moved next to Khandrr. "You are the daughter of Lord Vader?" He asked formally.

Elena nodded. "However, I prefer to think of myself as the daughter of Anakin Skywalker."

Korto threw her a sharp glance. "He is not Anakin Skywalker anymore, Milady," he said.

Elena's eyes flashed angrily, and a bolt of lightning zapped down near them. "You don't know anything," she snapped. "There _is _good in him. I know it. He's coming back."

Korto studied her. "Well," he eventually said, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "if anyone would know, you would. I didn't mean to imply–"

"No," Elena sighed, "don't worry about it. I'm sorry, my temper gets the better of me sometimes."

Khandrr glared at her. "Result of using the dark side?" She asked dangerously.

Elena smiled wryly. "No, I picked it up from my dad."

"Why am I not surprised?" The Zabrak muttered.

Korto kept his gaze on Elena. "You're very young to be in such a dangerous position."

Elena shrugged. "You don't look much older than I am."

"How old are you, then?"

"Eighteen."

Korto reddened. "Oh. Same here."

Leia cleared her throat. "Look, I'd rather not stand here in the woods. May we go out onto the beach?"

The others agreed and walked onto the sand, slowly moving around the large lake.

"So," Leia continued, stopping and turning around to face the others. "I don't think we've all been introduced."

"Let's start with you, Leigh," Elena suggested.

Leia nodded. "Very well. I'm Princess Leia Sk- Organa of Alderaan, but you may call me Leia." She quickly covered her slipup and turned to Elena. "Elena?"

Elena grinned. "I'm Elena Skywalker, but none of that 'Milady' stuff. Just plain Elena will be fine." She winked at Korto, who smirked. Glancing at Sylina, who had been quiet this entire time, she said, "Who's next?"

Sylina took the hint and straightened. "I am Sylina Valcana, otherwise known as Element. An honor to meet you all."

Korto cleared his throat. "Uh, I guess I'll go next. I'm Korto Vos – otherwise known as Korto Vos," he grinned at Sylina. "I'm also a Jedi Knight, or in training to be one."

"Same here," the sisters echoed.

Traashal rose to his full height. "I am Traashal nai Queynan. Honored."

Khandrr looked hard at the sisters and nodded. "I am Khandrr Naaxeq, also in training to become a Jedi."

The Noghri was last. "I am Hirsh'chall Clan Baikh'vair." He bowed to Elena. "I am at your disposal, Lady Vader. Your father saved our people, to which we owe him and his kin a debt."

Elena looked at him sadly. "I regret to inform you that everything my father did, under the orders of the Emperor, were not what you think. It was all a trick to get your people to serve the Empire. I'm sorry. You don't serve me any more than I serve you." She bowed to him.

Hirsh'chall blinked. "Nonetheless, I feel obligated to serve any kin of Lord Vader. It is he we serve, not the Empire."

"But–"

The Noghri held up a hand. "I will not sway, Milady."

Elena scowled and folded her arms over her chest. "Elena."

"Lady Elena, then," Hirsh'chall agreed.

"Just Elena will be fine," Elena replied, exasperated. "We're all mutants, here, so we're all equals."

Traashal looked at her. "Just out of curiosity, what can you do?"

"We can copy other comic book mutant's powers," Elena said without thinking.

"We?" Korto said, confused.

Elena froze.

Leia stepped forward. "Yes, we. Elena and I share the same power."

Hirsh'chall sniffed the air, and suddenly, his eyes widened. "You!" He nearly gasped, "You and Lady – Elena – are of the same blood!"

The group was silent.

"Yes," Leia admitted. "But you cannot tell anyone else about this. Elena and I are twins."

"You don't look much alike," Korto remarked, staring hard at the sisters.

"I get our father's looks and temper," Elena said, "Leia gets our mother's looks and our father's temper. Nice combination."

"Indeed," Khandrr said grimly.

Elena shot her a glare and said, "You must have had a place to either hide or stay. Where have you been hiding out?"

Korto again hesitated telling her the truth – after all, he'd only just met the girl. But something, probably the Force, was telling him that she was most likely trustworthy. "In an abandoned warehouse, about ten miles from here," he confessed.

"Is it big?"

"Yes. Why?"

Elena shrugged. "No reason. I'm just wondering how many people it could fit."

"A lot, I imagine. Again, why?"

Elena glanced at her sister and grinned. "Cause I'm sensing a lot more mutants other than you."

"What, here?" Khandrr demanded.

"Yes, here."

"How do you know?" Traashal questioned.

Elena said, "I can sense other mutants and their powers. I know that you, Korto, can cause people to go blind, and you, Khandrr, can manipulate and create darkness or shadows. Interesting abilities," she commented.

"Thanks," Korto said. "How many mutants so far can you sense?"

Leia and her sister were silent for a moment. "I sense around twenty-five," the elder of the two said.

"Twenty-five?"

"Yes. And more may be on the way."

Elena frowned. "But I don't get it. Why would so many mutants be here? Including you?"

The group of mutants glanced at each other.

"You mean you don't know?" Khandrr said.

"No."

Korto said, "We all came here because a few weeks ago, we all felt a strong presence – obviously a mutant – on here. Since we were close, we felt it. But I also sensed one on Coruscant."

Elena paled and looked at Leia. "Uh-oh," she said faintly. "That's not good."

"It must've been when we were going through our regeneration mode," Leia conceded, "that's the only explanation. And when that happened, our bodies must've sent out some kind of signal, only available to other mutants, telling them of another mutant presence in the area."

"Leigh, this is a disaster!" Elena cried, grabbing her sister's arms. "Don't you get it? If there were other mutants near Coruscant, they would go to Coruscant to try and find the mutant! They could be in danger!"

Leia nodded grimly. "Yes… Force only knows what the Emperor would do to them."

"We can't let that happen," Sylina said firmly. "What must we do?"

Elena glanced at her. "_We_ will do nothing. _I _will go back and try to find any stragglers that haven't sensed that I'm not there anymore. I only hope I'm not too late. In the meantime, Leia, I suggest we find a good hiding area where our presences will go unnoticed."

Leia nodded. "Agreed." She turned to the four newcomers. "How well hidden is this warehouse?"

"Well hidden," Korto assured. "I've scouted out the surrounding area – it's basically in the middle of nowhere."

"Good," Leia said. "I'll stay here and see if I can locate the mutants in particular – it shouldn't be too hard. You, including Element, should continue to stay in the warehouse – I'll provide you with everything you need to survive and more."

Korto smiled. "It's nice to know that we're not the only ones out here. I'm just glad that you and Elena didn't turn out like I'd thought you would."

"Indeed," Elena grinned. She shook hands with all the mutants. "I'd love to see the warehouse, but I've gotta go tell my father I'm coming home early. Leia, everyone, I'll see you later." She turned and jogged down the beach.

There was a momentary pause, then Leia said, "So, where's this warehouse?"

* * *

"I'm heading home early," Elena said via comm, "so expect me within the next few days."

Her father was silent for a moment. "Organa has not been treating you with the respect that he should," he finally concluded.

Elena sighed shortly. "No, no, it's not that… it's just… I need to get home. There are some things that I need to take care of."

"What things?"

"Well…" Elena floundered for a reason, "Jix. I need to talk to Jix."

"Jix is unavailable," Vader said, "I sent him on another assignment."

Elena scowled. "Oh. Great. When should he be back?"

"With Jix, it's hard to tell."

Elena rubbed her forehead. "I'm coming home anyways… and I think we need to talk."

Vader nodded. "Very well." With that, he blinked off.

Elena sat back on her bed, concerned. What if a mutant tried to storm the castle? What if the Emperor found out?

Finding herself suddenly exhausted, Elena passed out on her bed.

* * *

**Yes, I know. No action. Sorry. Next chapter will, though! This is more of a filler. **

**MtFbwy,**

**-Serena Kenobi**


	18. Darcy

Dark Angel

By Serena Kenobi

Author's note: Okay... we're kinda get towards the end of this story, but I'm not sure whether or not to add another sequel. Comments? Feedback? Would you like another sequel? Or should I just end the story in this story? I was planning to split it up into one more story, but I'm not sure.

Okay, another note: PippinBaggins's Darcy aka Spectre will be in this chapter. Pippin, this chapter's dedicated to you!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

"Darth Kier."

The young man bowed low before the Emperor. "What is your bidding, my master?" He asked in a low voice.

The Emperor's hideous face became more so as he scowled. "Go to Alderaan. Kill young Skywalker."

Kier's face betrayed surprise. "But I thought you had instructed me to–"

"I know well what I said," the Emperor snapped. "You have no need to remind me."

"No, master. It is not my place."

"No, it is not. By attacking her forcefully, she will be tempted to use the dark side. You will aid her in that. Bait her. Persuade her that the dark is stronger, and if she does not stand against you, kill her. She will be of no use to me."

Kier nodded. "At once." Bowing once more, he left the room, gripping his lightsaber tightly. Staying close to the shadows, Kier slipped into a secret underground hangar bay and zoomed out into the Coruscanti night in a sleek craft that disappeared.

* * *

"I'm sorry to cut this visit so short, Your Majesties," Elena said during breakfast the next morning, "but I'm afraid business calls me back home." 

Suffice to say, neither Organa parent looked too sad about it.

"I'm sorry to hear it," Bail said, not really sounding sorry at all. "Do give your father my regards."

Elena nodded stiffly. "Will do," she said. _Force, you sound so broken up about it. _

Leia muffled a snicker; her father stared at her.

"Leia, you all right?"

Leia patted her chest. "Oh, yes, I'm fine." She shot a mischievous glance to Elena.

"So, Leia, where were you yesterday? We didn't see you until late last evening," Breha said.

Leia froze. Looked at Elena, who stared back. "Uh, well… you know… I was… just… taking a walk."

"But you were gone all day," her mother said, confused.

Leia opened her mouth, but Elena quickly said, "Forgive me, Milady, it was my fault. I asked Leia if she knew how to get to this beautiful lake on the far east of the city, and we decided to take the long way. I take full responsibility."

"Princess Leia has many important things to do," said one of the Terrible Trio – Aunt Rouge, Elena guessed. "She does not have time to go gallivanting across the countryside! She is training to become a member of the Imperial Senate and the heir to the throne of Alderaan!"

Elena's eyes flashed. "Leia is a grown woman and can choose to do whatever she wants. And I'm sure she has time to show one of her oldest friends around her home planet for a few hours."

"Oldest friends?" Rouge echoed, angered.

Bail quickly jumped in, "Now, Rouge, please, let's leave it at that." He glanced at Elena uncomfortably, and both sisters knew that he was afraid of her.

"No, Senator Organa," Elena said coldly, her gaze never leaving Rouge's, "please, let her continue."

Rouge was all too happy to do so. "The day I see my niece become best friends with an _Imperial Princess, _whose father is merely a lapdog to Emperor Palpatine, is the day that Darth Vader becomes good!"

"That's enough!" Leia shouted, jumping from her seat. "Elena Skywalker is my closest friend in the entire galaxy. I value her opinion over most people I know – I think her of as my own flesh and blood sister!"

Bail and Breha's faces had turned ashen, and Rouge blinked, astonished at her niece's appalling behavior.

"Leia," Elena said quietly.

Leia shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "You don't understand." Her gaze flickered to her adopted family. "None of you do. And I don't think you ever will." She stormed out of the breakfast hall.

Elena sat there in silent contemplation.

"You!" Rouge hissed, her eyes furious, "this is all your doing! You Imperial witch!"

"Rouge!" Bail barked, half-heartedly.

Elena rose from her seat. "I had hoped to find a more welcoming, understanding family. But now I see Leia's right. You _don't_ understand." She turned and left the room, boots tapping on the hard floor.

Bail rubbed his chin. "This is a nightmare," he growled.

"It's all _her_doing!" Rouge exclaimed. "It's that spell-caster! That sorceress! She's turning Leia against us!"

"What will we do?" Breha said quietly. "Leia's been growing more distant recently – and now I feel that she's pushing us completely away. It's as if she doesn't want to be our daughter anymore!" She put her head in her hands.

Rouge turned to her brother. "Bail, isn't there something you can–"

"There's nothing I can do!" Bail roared. "That monster… that monster's daughter has the power to do anything – anything she wants. I can't stop her from seeing Leia. I can't stop them from becoming friends."

"What does she see in that witch, anyways?" Rouge glowered.

An eavesdropper, hiding in plain sight, sighed and rushed off to find her sister.

* * *

"Leia!" 

Leia turned at her sister's voice, and then sighed. "Elena, you know I can't see you when you're invisible unless I become invisible, too."

"Oops. Sorry." Elena became visible again. "Listen, I just heard your family. They think I'm turning you against them."

"No surprise there. I'm not all that sure I really care anymore." Leia sighed and sat on the edge of her bed. Elena frowned and took a seat opposite her. "Elena, ever since I've known we were sisters – and mutants – I've been… distancing myself from my parents. It's getting so difficult to keep this mutant thing a secret – and even if I did tell them, they wouldn't understand. You're lucky. You have a family who understands you."

"You mean I have a father who's a Sith Lord," Elena responded dryly.

"But at least he hasn't turned you over to Palpatine. He's kept this a secret for what, over four years now?"

"Yeah." Elena smiled. "I think he's afraid of me turning into something else. Turning into him, maybe. And I don't think he wants that."

Leia frowned. "But it doesn't make sense. If memory serves me correctly, there are only two Sith. Sidious won't want both you and your father as his apprentices. And Father… Father will want to take over the Empire with you at his side. Right?"

Elena shrugged. "I don't know." Her eyebrows furrowed. "I mean, I've thought about it, especially now that the Emperor's putting more pressure on Dad to turn me into a Sith… I think he wants me and Dad to turn against each other."

"But that won't happen. Unless he tries to turn you," Leia said.

"That's the problem," Elena said grimly. "I can't turn my back on becoming a Jedi. I won't become a Sith. But if he tries to make me become one… I don't know."

"Elena," Leia said, "you're going to have to choose. The Jedi… or your father."

"I know!" Elena shouted. "You don't think I don't know that?" She swore under her breath and raked a hand through her hair.

Leia gazed at her sister and slowly put a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Elena, I know what you're going through. But you have to trust–"

Elena's head shot up, and she tensed visibly. "Something's wrong," she said brusquely.

Leia frowned and looked around. "What – oh!" Her eyes widened as she sensed the same thing her sister was.

"I'll go," Elena said quickly, "I know this one." With that, she disappeared in a blink.

* * *

_Headstrong, stupid idiot! What's he thinking coming here? Is this a magnet for mutants? Is there a sign that says, "Welcome to Alderaan! All MUTANTS come on in!'?_ Elena shook her head as she zoomed through Aldera, invisible and flying using Rogue's superhuman powers. It was risky using two powers (sometimes three: she used Shadowcat's phasing powers in case she had to phase through a ship or speeder), but she had to get to the mutant in distress before he managed to get himself killed. Which, by all accounts, would happen in less than ten seconds. 

"Blasted mutants and their blasted tendency to get into trouble!" She growled, and suddenly, spotting the mutant falling down below her, sharply soared downwards at an ever increasing rate, reached out as she closed in on him, and quickly snatched the back of his shirt and cloak together.

"Whoa!" He cried, and craned his neck to see what had abruptly jolted him upwards. His face turned ashen as he expected to see something – but nothing was there. He was hanging by an invisible force in the middle of traffic. "What in…"

"Shut up or I'll shut you up!" Elena yelled. "Good grief! What's your dealio, huh?" She suddenly turned and sped towards a building and rested him on the top of it. He stumbled slightly but instantly recovered, turning around to face her, his eyes darting around. His blonde and brown shaggy hair fell in front of his face, and he was skinny and rather tall.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

Elena soared forth and slapped him upside his head. His eyes widened, and he ducked instinctively. "It's me, you dolt! Who d'ya think?" Elena was in no mood for politeness.

The young man frowned, then did a double take as if suddenly recognizing something. "… Elena?" He asked hesitantly.

Elena dropped down to the ground and made herself visible in front of him. For good measure, she slapped him upside the head again. "What does it look like?" She snapped. "Darcy, what were you _thinking_?"

Darcy swallowed but held her gaze. "What do you mean?"

"What d'you think I mean? Why were you trying to take on that entire group of thugs on your own?"

Darcy's eyes flashed, and his jaw tightened. "What, you don't think I'm strong enough? That I'm a good enough Jedi?"

"Don't throw yourself a pity-party," Elena sneered. "That's not what I meant and you know it. You're a mutant, Darce, a frelling _mutant!_Do you realize how dangerous it is for you? For us?"

Darcy glared at her. "I know all too well. How else was I to defend myself?"

"Run into an alley and _then_disappear. You were on the verge of doing it right in front of them? Not smart!" She punched him in the arm.

He winced and rubbed it. "Geez, you pack a punch, don't you?"

"Indestructible metal skeleton," Elena waved it off, "but listen. You can't be here – out in the city. It's dangerous."

"I've done it before and I can do it again," Darcy shot back.

Elena rubbed her forehead. "And I'm sure you can, but that's not the best choice. Come on, there are some friends I want you to meet." She reached out to take his hand, but he recoiled.

"How do I know you're not–"

"Taking you to Imperial holding?" She narrowed her eyes and slapped him again. "Don't be stupid, Darcy, cause you're not. You know me better than that." She grabbed his hand, turned invisible – he did the same – and together they flew off the building and shot off into the sky.

They soared out of the city until they finally came to the area of the forest that contained the large warehouse. Once spotted, Darcy and Elena alighted on the ground and walked towards the warehouse.

"What's this place?" Darcy asked, slightly nervous.

Elena's face remained impassive. "A warehouse."

"Obviously," Darcy said dryly. "Why'd you take me here?" Did he hear… voices inside?

"I told you, we're going to meet some friends. Come on, they're waiting." She entered inside, and after a second's hesitation, Darcy followed her. Once inside, he stopped, startled.

"Who are you guys?" Darcy asked.

Elena looked around at the small crowd of mutants, most of them unfamiliar, and raised her eyebrows. "I second the question," she said.

Leia stepped forward, and Darcy's eyes widened. "You're Princess Leia!" He blurted out. "But what are you–"

"I'm a mutant, too," Leia said, holding out a hand. "You're Darcy, I know. Elena's told me about you."

Darcy eyed Elena warily. "What's she told you?"

"Nothing that I'm sure isn't true. Come on, there are some friends I think you should meet." She stepped towards the various people in the room and cleared her throat above the noise. Everyone fell silent and turned towards her.

_Leia, how DID you get here so fast? _Elena wondered.

_Left a clone of myself at the palace. No one will suspect a thing._

Elena grinned. _Clever._

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," Leia said loudly, "I'd like to introduce another mutant – this is Darcy."

Darcy blushed, and his eyes darted nervously around for any sign of hostility in the group. He found none, only sheer curiosity.

"And for those of you who haven't met her, this is Elena Skywalker. She'll be leaving us soon to return to Coruscant in case any other mutants felt her sign and went there instead. But don't worry – she's not an Imperial – she's a mutant like us."

Elena nodded and urged Darcy on forward. "What, are you scared?" She whispered.

Darcy glared at her. "No." After a pause, he said, "Okay, yes. But aren't you?"

"Darce, you're among your peers now. No judgment here." Elena patted his back and went forth to meet the newest additions to the party.

* * *

Weeell, hope you liked it. Let me know what you think! Flames will be ignored. Pippin, I hope I did Darcy justice.

MtFbwy,

- Serena Kenobi


	19. Options

**Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**A/N: (ducks and hides) I KNOW! I'm SO sorry to have kept you waiting! But I was trying to decide where I wanted this story to go - and I think I've pretty much decided what I want to do. The sequel will probably be shorter, because that'll be the final punch and the resolution. But I was thinking about doing a story after that, maybe of the next generation. Haven't decided yet. **

**In answer to Super Tinfoil Man's question, Yoda is not dead. He just hasn't shown up yet. And I don't really like him at all, so he won't be a main part in the story, as you can see already. But he will make an appearance or two. **

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! You guys keep this story going and make me want to write more. Almost to 200 reviews! Can we make it? **

**Disclaimer: One's enough. We all know I don't own anything but my own characters. And I just borrow the amazing Darcy from Pippin Baggins from time to time. Pippin, you rock!**

**The story's really going to pick up now. The climax is coming... **

* * *

**_Chapter Nineteen_ **

Elena stood a few yards away from the warehouse, staring out into the forest, bag slung over one shoulder and a gift from the mutant party in her free hand. Leia came up beside her and said quietly, "Let's walk." The two began to stroll through the forest, simply enjoying the last few moments they knew would from then on be very few. After a moment, Elena asked, "Do you think this will work out?"

"What?"

Elena motioned back to the warehouse, buzzing with noises from the mutants as they conversed with one another. "This. All these mutants. Do you think this whole warehouse will last for much longer?"

Leia shook her head. "Honestly, no. We're getting too many people, and most of them are runaways. We'll have to think of something else soon. And if there are as many mutants on Coruscant, they'll simply double the amount, and we'll have to think of somewhere else to send them."

"But what do we _do _with them?" Elena persisted. "Most of them have no money, no family, no jobs…" She rubbed her head. "Well, I guess we can think about it. We'll house them here – you find someone to be in charge when you're away, and we'll take it from there."

"Sylina," Leia instantly said. "She's older than us, and the best leader. But I agree. Something needs to be done."

Elena paused. "Leia…"

Leia looked at her. "What?"

"I've been thinking…"

"Never good."

"Amusing. But seriously, I have an idea. Not sure if it's one you'll like, but…"

Leia stopped. "Out with it."

"I know the Alliance is having trouble finding trustworthy recruits," Elena whispered, "but what about them? What if we added them to the fight?"

"You mean… like an army?"

"Maybe. What if… what if we started our own secret legion of specially trained units? What if we created an underground league… not a league, but more like an enlarged strike team. We have the power to hit the Empire, hard."

"But what about their identities? Their powers?"

"Like I said, it's just a thought. We can't hide forever, I've been realizing."

Leia nodded. "It's a thought. Something like… Mutants Underground?"

"Yeah. But that's going a little too far." Elena continued to walk. "Right now I have to focus on helping Coruscanti mutants. Which is why I have to leave now." She turned to her sister and smiled. "I love you, sis."

Leia pulled her into a hug. "Love you, too."

Elena smiled, then strode off into the forest and disappeared in a_bamf. _Since she couldn't teleport into the hangar bay, which had many guards, she decided to take the more scenic route and go around the outer forest, then catch a speeder into the city. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the forest was extremely pleasant to walk in. After one _bamf, _Elena stopped and inhaled deeply, getting lost in the presence of the Force –

Which was screaming something at her that instant!

Without warning, a raging black beast dropped down from below, foaming at the mouth and screaming shrilly. Elena barely had time to duck and roll out of the way of its large, open mouth full of razor-sharp fangs that gleaming cruelly. Elena stared at it as it dropped onto all four paws and crouched low, hissing and snarling.

"By the Force!" Elena shouted, then held up a hand as the creature lunged at her –

Only to drop down, smacking dead on into the bluish force field. It lay there for a second, moaning in pain.

Elena slowly, warily made her way over to the creature, which was some kind of feline, and said, "Hey, hey, I'm not going to hurt you." She felt confident to use her powers on an animal. _An animal can't tell people if I'm a…. mutant. _Elena's eyes narrowed. Something… something was telling her this creature was more than just… a creature.

The creature stopped moaning and stared at her with hateful green eyes. They were an icy green, and seemed more intelligent than they should have been. Elena stopped as it rose to its four paws and snarled.

"Whoa!" She stepped back. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

But the creature roared and rushed forward at an alarming rate and tackled her to the ground. Elena struggled against its large sharp claws, trying to avoid its large open mouth as it growled and snapped at her. Finally, she'd had enough. She phased herself down into the ground, then back up behind the creature, which was now staring at the position she had just occupied. Elena's eyes whitened, and she flung a lightning bolt at the creature. It screamed and knocked against a tree, unconscious. Elena would've left the creature there, but after a second, something happened. Elena frowned and walked towards it.

The creature began to change. Its ears flattened and grew pinker, its body changed shape and morphed into a more human one, and its fur disappeared and became skin, except for the head, where the fur became long, curly black hair. The next second, Elena found herself staring a young human male dressed in black. A lightsaber hung at his belt. But his hands were slightly hairier than most male hands she'd seen, and his fingers contained claw-type nails rather than normal human fingernails.

"By the Force!" Elena breathed. Suddenly, she was filled with a horrible thought. Was the Emperor already experimenting on mutants? Was this man an experiment gone wrong? Was she too late? Elena looked down at the man. She needed answers, and she needed them soon. Sighing, she picked up the young man, who looked to be around her age, and brought him over to a little clearing. She started a fire and then waited for him to wake up.

But then she froze. _He's seen my powers! _

* * *

Around an hour later, as Elena was staring into the fire, she heard a noise. Looking over, she saw the young man slowly move his body. He groaned, more of a growling in his throat, and then opened his sharp green eyes. They glinted, stared at the fire, and then rested on Elena. He bolted upright and snarled, sounding just like an animal.

"Oh, shut up."

He looked down. Closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. He then hopped to his feet and reached for his lightsaber –

Which was currently sitting beside the girl.

"Hello," Elena said calmly. "I'm Elena."

He snarled, revealing gleaming white teeth. Two of them were smaller fangs that hung down from his upper jaw. Elena stared at him. Suddenly, he snapped his mouth shut. "What happened?" He hissed.

"You tell me," Elena snapped, rising to her feet. "It's not every day I see a beast turn into a guy. Or maybe you don't need to become an animal. Maybe you already _are _a beast."

He glared at her furiously. "Give me my weapon."

"No. Not until you tell me how you changed into an animal."

"I didn't change into an animal."

"No, you changed into a man from an animal."

"You lie!"

She studied him. "Do you… remember being an animal?"

He growled at her once more and suddenly darted off into the forest. Elena sighed again.

"_That_ went well."

* * *

The return to Coruscant was both a relief and a matter of dread for Elena. She didn't know what to expect when she arrived at the castle, but she wasn't looking forward to any meetings with other mutants or even with her father. She hopped out of the N-1 fighter and was not surprised to see Jenson standing there at attention. She walked up to him, all stern and cold, mirroring his own expression, but after a tense minute, she broke into a smile – as did he – and on impulse hugged the Lieutenant who had been her first friend in her father's castle. "Hey, Jen," she grinned, pulling back.

"Milady," Jenson said, his chestnut eyes sparkling. "Nice to have to you back."

"Nice to be back. Where's Dad?"

"With the Emperor." Seeing Elena's sour expression, he hastily added, "He didn't want to go, I assure you. But Prince Xizor's here – back from Falleen – and the Emperor wanted your father to greet him."

Elena scowled. "Bet he _loved _that," she muttered.

"Of course. Look, I'd love to hear about your trip, but Lord Vader's demanding a report – so I'll talk to you later?"

Disappointed but determined not to show it, Elena flashed him a false smile. "Certainly!" She watched as he walked away, but before he went too far, she called out, "Oh, hey, Jen!"

He turned around. "Yes?"

She licked her lips. "Did you… have you talked to Jix lately?" Jix and Jenson had gotten along well during Elena's growth in the castle and were usually quite polite to each other. They both respected the other for having worked for Vader for so long.

Jenson shook his head. "No, he's been gone ever since you were. Sorry."

"It's okay." Elena gave him another fake smile and walked off in the opposite direction. Had her father found out? Did he… fire Jix? Or kill him? Had Jix run off, never to return? Elena was troubled.

"Lady Vader!"

Elena turned to see a young man, one whom she had never seen before, hurrying towards her. She guessed he was a new aide. Upon reaching her, he bowed. "Milady," he said, reddening. "Er, I, um, wish to give you some information."

Elena looked at him, realizing he was probably around her age. "Okay," she said. "And it's Lady Skywalker – I don't use the 'Vader' surname."

He blushed even more. "Oh, my apologies, Lady V- Skywalker," he spluttered. "I hope I haven't offended you."

Elena smiled. "Don't worry about it. What's your name?"

"Private Brin, Milady."

Elena stuck out a hand, which he hesitantly took. "Nice to meet you. I'm guessing you're new here."

"Yes, Milady."

"Still getting used to it all?"

He nodded emphatically. "Yes!"

"Hope you stay. What's the information?"

"Oh! Right. The information." He handed her a datapad. "It's from a Mara Jade of the Imperial Palace."

Elena beamed and eagerly took it. "Thanks!"

He blushed again and hurried away.

Elena read the datapad on the way to her room – it was mostly just small talk and information about school and questions about Alderaan. Elena was not surprised to get a com call from Keira. "Elena!" The young woman said. "How were Alderaan and Leia?"

"Great! It was nice to get away. What's up?"

"Oh, I know this sounds crazy, but I wondered if you could do me a favor. I'd ask Bece or Mara, but they're busy. I wondered if you could go to an apartment in Coruscant and check it out for me. I'm getting ready to move out of my father's place."

"All grown up, huh?"

"Something like that. Could you see what it's like and take holos? I want your opinion. You'll know if the landlord's trying to cheat me."

"Certainly." Elena took down the address and the date of the appointment, which would be in around two weeks.

"Oh, thank you! I really appreciate it. Oh, and I got you a late life day present. It should be with your droid."

"Thanks, K."

"No problem. Bye!" The comlink ended.

Elena looked around for any sign of Geenine, but the little brassy droid was no where around. Frowning, she looked on her bed and saw a wrapped present. She smiled and went over to sit on her bed. Opening the present, she found that it was a journal. There was a note from Keira on a flimsi that read: "Elena – something to write down your thoughts. It's coded to have a password if you want. Happy life day!" Elena turned over the book- shaped datapad and smiled. She took out a stylus and began to write.

_Hey. I've never had a journal before, so I guess it's for writing down what you're thinking or what your life is about. Well, whatever. Guess I'll just improvise and write whatever I feel like._

_So here's the dealio: I live with a Sith Lord in a castle on Coruscant. I'm eighteen, and although Dad doesn't know, I'm training to be a Jedi. Matter of fact, there's a lot of things Dad doesn't know. I feel horrible for not telling him, but then again, every time I feel guilty, I remember that he's a Sith. Can I even trust him? Wait, how can I say that? Of course I can trust him. He hasn't betrayed me to the Emperor, and it's been over four years since I first moved in. But still, I can't tell him about Luke and Leia, or about the others. _

_Force, I feel so alone. Leia now has all those other mutants to keep her company – they're like an extended family. Luke, I guess, feels the same way I do. He doesn't have anybody either. I, at least, have Mara. Don't know about Jix. Haven't seen him in a while. I don't know if our relationship can ever be repaired. I shouldn't have kissed him. That was stupid. But it just felt so right! He's been my friend ever since I first met him – he's stuck with me this whole time. He knows about my secret and was fine with it. He's just… I don't know. _

_But still. There's something missing. I guess it's that our family, our estranged family, will never be together unless Dad turns to the Light. He's the catalyst, and he's the only one who can repair the damage he's created. _

_Well, that's it for today. Thanks for this, Keira._

Elena leaned back in her bed and glanced out the window at the artificial sunset.

"About time you came home."

Elena turned to see her father, unmasked and unsuited, leaning against the doorjamb, smirking. "Hello yourself," she said dryly, rising to her feet and greeting her father with a hug. "How've you been?"

"Can't complain, I suppose," he shrugged.

"And Old Dry Bones?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Same as always."

"That bad, huh?" She returned to her chair. "And the lizard?"

Anakin's eyes hardened. "It was ridiculous." He began pacing the room as she looked on calmly. "The Emperor made me _welcome_that slimy piece of bantha dung! It was disgraceful! Why would the Emperor make me do such a humiliating thing?"

"Because he can." She leaned forward. "Don't you see he's trying to control you? Play you against Xizor?"

Anakin glared sullenly at her but knew she was right. "I don't trust the Emperor anymore," he said distantly, walking over to the large window and staring out through it. "I haven't trusted him in a long time. And he doesn't trust me either. Not that I care."

"I know," Elena replied serenely. "I think you should know he's already trying to replace you."

Anakin looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I ran into a young man on Alderaan," Elena told him. "I read his mind. He's got direct ties to Palpatine. He tried to kill me. I think we both know the Emperor either wants me dark side or dead. I'm a nuisance to him now. I have been ever since I got here." She took in a breath.

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "Why do I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me?"

"Because your feelings are right." Elena put her head in her hands. "Father, the man I met was a mutant."

Anakin stared at her. "A mutant? You mean Palpatine has mutants working for him? He might be onto you as well…"

"I know!" She cried. "I'm trying to figure this out, here. I have to try and help him – maybe I can convince the guy that Palpatine is going to hurt him."

"Always trying to help people, aren't you?" Anakin said.

She nodded. "Yes."

Anakin's lips pressed together, and finally he said, "I think it's time to consider… other options."

"Meaning?" Elena held her breath.

"Meaning… we take over the Empire."

Elena deflated. "Oh."

"You and I together are more than a match for the Emperor and anyone else he has with him," Anakin pressed. "This is our chance to make the galaxy a better place! Make things the way we want them to be!" His eyes were lit with a strange fire.

Elena froze. "That's just what you said to Mom."

Anakin stared at her. Hard. "What are you implying?" he questioned dangerously.

She rose to her feet. "I'm implying that asking me to take over the galaxy is going to get you the same place it got you the first time you suggested that."

"You'd fight me?" His voice was dark.

She shook her head sadly. "No. But I won't help you."

"You're not allied with me?" His voice was shaking with rage.

Elena's eyes filled with tears and she said carefully, "I'm your daughter. I love you. I'd do almost anything for you. But I_won't_ turn to the dark side, and I _won't_ be part of your plan to take over the galaxy. I'd kill Palpatine in a heartbeat – but I won't be with you if you take over as Emperor. I'd help rebuild a new Republic – a new democracy – but I won't see you rise as a dictator." She fell silent.

Anakin contemplated this information and eventually said, most of his anger deflated, "So you will not comply with the Emperor's wishes?"

"No."

He sighed. "Then I suggest you watch your back. The Emperor will attempt to have you killed."

"Why not just do it then?" She baited.

"The public loves you too much." His eyes were saddened. "As do I." He turned sharply and left the room.

Elena fell back into her chair, inhaling shakily, and stared at her clawed hands.

* * *

The next day as Elena was looking over some reports, her father entered. He locked the door behind him and took off his helmet. His face was so grim Elena immediately leaned forward. "What's the matter?"

Vader ran a hand through his hair. "There's something I failed to mention yesterday," he said. "However, I didn't want to plague you as soon as you arrived home."

Elena looked at him keenly but said nothing.

"Elena…" his eyes met hers, and she was shocked to discover the helpless expression on his face. "The Emperor…" He inhaled. "The Emperor has ordered me to tell you… had ordered me to tell you that you must find a husband within the next month or he will do it for you."

Elena stared at him, not sure if he was joking or not. "I'm sorry?"

"I would rather not repeat myself," he said, irritated. "You have to get married by the end of next month or he will force you to marry someone of his choosing."

"But why? What's the point?" She was baffled at this move. "And why now? This is so out of the blue!" Was this all just a strange dream?

"I think that he wants you out of the way and married to someone he can control. If push comes to shove, he will kill you. It's all rather sudden, and I'm not certain myself of his true intentions. Maybe… maybe it's to remind me of my allegiance to him."

Elena's eyes flashed at the Emperor's using her to get to her father. "I won't do it."

"You must, Elena."

"But there's no one to marry! I'm not marrying some Moff!"

Anakin studied her closely. "You're an adult and perfectly old enough to be married. Are you sure there's no one you would want?"

Elena paused and blushed. "Well… er… I haven't really thought about it." Her anger suddenly rose. "And this is all just a little sudden, don't you think?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes. I apologize for the bad timing. But remember, Elena, if you don't choose – he will choose for you." His eyes were saddened as he turned to leave. "I'm sorry, daughter. I didn't want this for you."

Elena watched him leave and put her head in her hands. _Why is my life falling apart? _

* * *

"_Making_ you get _married_?" Luke was tremendously furious. "I can't _believe _Dad's actually _agreeing _to this!"

"It's not his fault," Elena said tiredly as she watched him pace the stone patio. "He doesn't have a choice in the matter either."

Leia's eyes flashed. "Why do you keep defending him?" She demanded. "He could just-"

"Just what?" Elena snapped, fixing her with an icy gaze. "Just kill the Emperor? Take over his place?"

Leia leaned back. "What did he say to you?"

"He suggested just that," Elena sighed miserably. "I was wrong. He doesn't want to turn back – I thought it was good that he doesn't trust the Emperor – but he just wants to take his place as the ruler with me by his side."

Leia looked down and squeezed Elena's hand in her own. "I'm sorry."

"No. It's not your fault." Elena looked at her siblings. "But I think we should start thinking of new possibilities…"

Luke sat down. "What are you saying?"

Elena paused, licked her lips, and said, "I'm saying we should consider other options. If Father doesn't return to the light side, then we have to come up with a backup plan. A plan to protect our kind. Our brothers and sisters." She looked at Leia. "Leia, I think you should continue to look after the mutants in the warehouse – maybe move the warehouse to a more remote location – and begin to train them. Those who already have fighting skills can help."

"You mean build up an army?" Leia said, growing interested. "Like what you were talking about before?"

"Exactly. Luke – if you sense any mutants, try to compel them to meet with Leia. Aid them in any way you can. I'll do what I can under the radar, but I'm watched like a hawk now. The Emperor's closing in on me. He might already be taking in mutants and experimenting on them."

Luke frowned and said, "What do you mean?"

"I think the Emperor's going to replace father with a new apprentice he's training. I met him on Alderaan – and he's a mutant. He can turn into any animal he chooses."

Luke whistled. "Powerful. And Force-trained."

"That's why I think we need to start moving _now. _Get ahead of Palpatine."

Luke nodded. "I agree. We're not just Jedi. We're mutants. We need to do what we can to stop the Empire."

"Will you stop Vader if you have to?" Leia questioned.

Elena had a pained expression on her face and was silent for a long time. Finally, she whispered, "Force help me – if I have to, then yes."

* * *

**And the plot thickens! I decided to throw that little twist in there - you'll see why later. The Emperor's finally closing in on Elena... what will she do? Find out in the next chapter! Reviews are always welcome.**

**MtFbwy,**

**- Serena Kenobi **


	20. Sarael

**Dark Angel**

**By Serena Kenobi**

**A/N: GAH! I haven't updated in AGES!! Welcome new reviewers, I hope you'll stick around to see the end of this story. It won't be over for a while if I get enough feedback from the sequel. I'd like to thank everyone now who's been around for this and the previous story - you guys are the best. You seriously have helped me to become a better writer, and I thank you.  
**

* * *

A week later, and Elena still hadn't forgiven her father. She felt that soon she or he would have to say something, but she wanted him to be the one to do that. One evening as she was in the media room reading a letter from Leia, the door opened. She didn't look up.

"Elena."

"Father." She still didn't turn to look at him.

Anakin sighed. "Look, I'm sorry that you have to go through this. Believe me, it's not what I want for you."

"Fine."

Anakin glared at her. "Elena!"

"What?"

"Will you accept my apology or not?"

Elena looked at him. "Fine." She returned to her letter.

Anakin was growing very irritated at her passive aggressive behavior. "Elena Skywalker, stop this ridiculous attitude! You are not a teenager anymore! You are an adult and I expect you to act like one!"

Elena slowly rose to her feet. Her eyes were cold. "As you wish. Excuse me, sir." She brushed past him, but he took her arm and pulled her back to him.

"Elena," he said, frustrated, "I really am sorry. I wish I could change the Emperor's mind about this, but unless he is gotten rid of, I can't do anything to disobey him and give him reason to call me a traitor."

Elena's eyes softened. "I know. I'm sorry, too."

* * *

The first thing he sensed when he awoke was extreme pain. He grimaced at the bright light and blinked twice before opening his eyes. "Hello?" He rasped. "Who's there?"

He heard a murmur, and then a man in a white coat appeared over his head. The man smiled and said, "Hello. How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure… like a speeder ran over me," he muttered, putting up a hand to block the light. He stared at his hand, which was a deep red with black tattoos swirling over it. He frowned and asked, "What's going on?"

The man above him sighed. "What do you remember?"

He wracked his brain for memories, but to his horror came up with nothing. "I don't… I don't remember anything," he whispered. He reached up and touched his face, then his head. He felt over it and found several horns jutting out from his scalp. "I'm a Zabrak," he muttered. "I know at least that much…" He groaned and tried to sit up, but the man gently held him down.

"You're in no condition to be moving," the man said. "You've had a hard time of it – you almost didn't make it. But the carbon freezing worked."

"Carbon freezing?"

"Yes. You've been in hibernation for decades."

He froze. "Decades?"

"Yes."

That did it. He bolted upright, growling, "Who are you? Where am I?"

"I'm Dr. Yan. You're on Polis Massa."

He tried to remember anything about Polis Massa. "Polis Massa," he said, "I don't remember much – but I think I've heard of it." He glanced at the Doctor, who was a pleasant looking, middle-aged man with graying hair. "Do you know who I am?"

The Doctor shook his head. But he detected, somehow sensed, that the Doctor was lying.

"You do know," he growled. "Tell me!"

"I don't. Now lie down – you'll overstress yourself and your cybernetic systems," Yan snapped.

He froze. "What?" He stared down at the blanket covering his legs, and then to the lower half of his chest. He inhaled sharply as he saw a black prosthetic lower half. "What is this?" He rasped. Throwing off the blanket, he was horrified to see two cybernetic legs there instead of normal ones – and in place of feet, there were two cybernetic claw-like things – four claws on each one. "What happened to me?" He began to shake. "What happened to me? What am I?" He gasped furiously, not noticing that things in the room were beginning to shudder.

Yan shouted, "Calm down! Just calm down!"

"No!" He roared, pushing Yan aside. He awkwardly tumbled off the bed and crashed to the floor. Picking himself up, he stumbled out of the room and into a hall. Finding it empty, he began to walk faster, still staggering as he tried to work his cybernetic legs. But as he heard a shout behind him, he growled in determination and tried to run. At first, he tripped, but in a few seconds, his speed increased, and his footing became surer, and in less than ten seconds he was ripping past shocked aliens, not knowing where he was going or what he was doing.

He halted when he saw, through a large window, a ship of some kind. It could've been a shuttle, but it would do. If he could remember how to fly it, that is. But when he stared at the window, he found that he could see his reflection in the mirror. He looked closely. He had yellow and red eyes, and his face and upper torso were covered in black tattoos.

Who was he?

But he didn't have time to ponder that question. He leaped down the hall, his pace increasing until he almost felt like he was flying, and in no time he found himself at a hangar. He quickly scanned the area before finding the small shuttle he'd seen earlier. He rushed toward it and jumped as a shot was fired inches past his head. He turned to see a group of men with guns pointed at him. He impulsively put a hand up as if to block the shots, and to his astonishment, the guns tore out of the men's hands, all landing at his feet. He stared at them.

_What?_

"Get him!" One of the men shouted.

He picked up a gun and raced up the ramp, hitting the mechanism to shut it as soon as he entered the ship. Making his way to the cockpit, he fell into the pilot's seat and began pressing buttons. He had no idea what he was doing, but it seemed like second nature to him. Before he knew it, he was soaring out of Polis Massa and into the utter blackness of space. He touched the controls and realized he had nowhere to go. He brought up a map of where he was. There was only the planet Subterrel, and that appeared to be a mining colony. But where else had he to go? Maybe he could find someone to help him.

He set a course for Subterrel and hoped that his luck would improve.

But another voice told him there was no such thing as luck.

* * *

Sarael Sol rubbed her sore back as she collapsed onto her small cot. She sighed and brushed a wisp of white and light red hair out of her glowing red eyes. She didn't know why she was here on Subterrel when at any time she could easily overpower her master, Jaroth, by simply calling upon her powers. Glancing down at her white hands that glowed with a hot reddish energy, she shook her head and let the glow disappear. She couldn't kill anyone. She wasn't a murderer. And how could she risk showing her powers to anyone else?

Her eyes drifted shut…

But they flew open as a hand covered her mouth, and she gasped and tried to bolt upright.

"No, please," a voice hissed. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Her eyes glowed slightly with anger as she tried to see the attacker in the darkness of her tiny room. _Who are you?_ She mentally asked herself.

_I don't know,_ a male voice inside her head said, sounding ashamed. She jumped, her eyes wide.

_You heard that?_

_Yes._ The hand left her mouth, and she frowned in the darkness.

"Who are you?" She whispered.

There came a heavy sigh. "I don't know," the accented low voice said. "I was just going to ask for some help. I need to get to a certain planet – I don't remember anything."

"Can I… see you?"

"I rather you wouldn't. I'm not exactly nice to look at, Arkanian."

Sarael squinted in the darkness. "I don't care. I work in the mines – I see many ugly aliens. You can't be worse than anything I've already seen."

There was a pause. "If you wish." Her small lamp flickered on, and she found herself staring at the tallest Zabrak male she'd ever seen. He was at least seven feet tall, but that was because of his lower half – it was entirely cybernetic systems. "By the mines," she breathed. "What happened?"

He sighed again. "I don't know."

She looked into his eyes, a stunning shade of yellow, red, and orange, not too much unlike her own. "I'm Sarael," she offered, holding out a white hand. "Sarael Sol."

He smiled. "I'm… a Zabrak. That's all I can tell you." He glanced at the floor and inspected one of his clawed feet – if they could be called feet.

"You don't know your name?"

"No," he said darkly. "And I don't know how, but I could hear your thoughts."

"I could hear you, too," she said softly. "No one else has." She rose to her feet. "Well, Zabrak, I can't think of any names now, so how about just Zabrak?"

He frowned. "Isn't that a little impersonal?"

"Fine. Zak?"

"Zak?" He echoed.

"Yes. Short for Zabrak. It'll have to do until we can think of something else." Sarael wondered when had she started to think that they'd have a long-lasting relationship. Shaking her head, she added, "What are you doing here?"

He glanced out the window. "I need to get off this planet."

"Me, too. That doesn't mean I can."

"Why not?"

It was a simple question, but she found herself startled by it. "Well, I…" she said lamely. "I have a Master. I have no money, no family, nowhere else to go. It's fine here, really."

He studied her. "You're not a very good liar, Sarael."

She sighed. "I know. But where would I go? What would I do?" She stared down at her hands. I can't even be myself without risking…

"If you help me to get off the planet, I might be able to help," he offered.

Sarael frowned. "How so?"

"I have a ship, hidden a few miles from here. It needs fuel. I know nothing about this planet or where to buy it – if you help me find fuel, I'll get you off here and take you wherever you want."

Sarael knew many places to refuel. "All right," she said finally, her own eyes gazing into his. "I'll help you.

* * *

It was the annual celebration of the rise of the Empire. However, neither Elena nor her father felt like celebrating. For her, it signified the death of her mother, the separation of her from her siblings, and the destruction of the Jedi. For her father it signified the duel between him and Obi-Wan and the death of his beloved wife.

Elena stood looking at herself in her mirror. She sighed. "Do we have to go to this party?"

"Yes," her father called out as he straightened his black tunic in her bathroom and entered the room. He eyed her silver, flowing dress with distaste.

"It's a little… revealing, don't you think?"

Elena grinned at his referring to the strapless gown. "Don't be ridiculous. This is perfectly appropriate." She twirled once. "What do you think?"

He smiled. "You look beautiful."

She smiled back and took his arm. "You look nice, too. Shame you have to wear the blasted suit. Every female in the Palace would be fawning all over you and forget Thrawn and Xizor. But then that would boots your already large ego."

"I do not have a large ego," he said, offended.

She put on a dress coat and grinned. "Of course you don't."

* * *

Elena had been to the Grand Hall of the Imperial Palace many times for other occasions, but the splendor and the decorations made her feel extremely ill. It only reminded her of the poverty and death the Empire had caused over the years. Upon entering the palace, a short man bowed. "Lord Vader," he said in a nasally voice, "Who is this lovely young lady with you?"

"My daughter," Vader rumbled, "Her Royal Imperial Highness, Princess Elena Skywalker."

"Of course. You shall be announced." He turned and spoke into a speaker comlink, "Announcing Lord Darth Vader and his daughter, Her Royal Imperial Highness, Princess Elena Skywalker."

"I'll give you Princess, you–" Elena muttered under her breath and was stopped by a look from her father.

Elena took her father's arm and went down the grand ballroom staircase, eying the grand lustrous room before her. There were hundreds of people talking, many dancing as well, and the ladies were all finely dressed; most of the men in Imperial uniform. Elena and her father reached the bottom and immediately came before the Emperor, who had been speaking with Grand Moff Tarkin. Tarkin, accompanied by a younger woman with cold eyes and red hair and was the only woman wearing an Imperial uniform, glared hard at Elena.

"Ah, Lord Vader and young Skywalker," the Emperor purred as Vader took the Emperor's right side. "How wonderful of you to join us."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," Elena replied smoothly. "It was kind of you to invite us." _Kind, my as-_

_Elena! _Her father berated.

_What? _

"This is Admiral Daala," the Emperor said, looking at the red-haired woman.

Elena nodded. "Pleasure." She held out a hand. The woman looked at it disdainfully but took it, releasing it almost at once.

"I'm sure," Daala fairly snarled.

Okay then. Elena looked around and saw Leia and her father a ways off talking to someone. Leia's eyes met hers, and Leia smiled. Elena smiled back.

A stunning Mara Jade came up to the party in a slinky green dress that showed off every curve the assassin had. Her hair was done up, as Elena's was, and wisps of red-gold hair fell onto her swan-like neck. "Lord Vader," she said, "Moff Tarkin." Her green eyes locked with Elena's.

Elena smirked. "Mara Jade," she said. "Where have you been hiding yourself?"

"Oh… around."

"Care to show me where the drinks are?" Elena asked politely.

"Get a droid to show you," Mara waved her off.

Elena glared but was inwardly smiling. "Very well." She motioned to a nearby droid and took a sip of wine. Uck. She quickly passed it on to another moving waiter droid.

"Oh, young Skywalker," the Emperor said, a hint of triumph in his voice, "I'd like to introduce you to a new pupil of mine."

An extremely handsome young man stepped forward from the Emperor's left side. He had jet-black hair that was slicked back, and it came almost to his shoulders. He had a strong, tall body, and enticing green eyes. He was garbed in all black, and he wore a black cape that billowed behind him as Vader's did.

"Young Skywalker, this is Dartan Kier."

Kier's emerald orbs locked with Elena's, and they narrowed.

Elena's eyes widened. "You!" She exclaimed.

* * *

**I know, I've been horrible. Writing a novel will do that to you. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story for so long; we're actually winding down, well up, in a matter of speaking. There aren't too many chapters before the end - and then onto the next sequel! Now, as for the name... any ideas, people? **

**MtFbwy,**

**- Serena **


	21. Fury

**Dark Angel**

**By Serena**

**A/N: **_Okay, everyone. You deserve a dang good explanation for why I haven't updated in ages. Some of you might know that I'm writing a novel. I'm a little over halfway done with it now, and I want to get it done with as soon as possible. So, right now, I'm focusing on that. When I'm done, I'll update sooner. This will be the last update for a while, a few months, anyway. But NONE of my stories are on hiatus. I WILL finish them. Promise._

_But I'm really excited about my novel - it's a sci-fi/fantasy/romance novel. Just like Star Wars... JUST KIDDING! But I have taken an element from this story and put it into my novel - I took Elena's name and made her a character. Hehe. _

_So, that's the explanation. I thank you all so much for your support and time in reading and reviewing this story and others of mine. I want you all to know that you've been my main inspiration for writing my novel, and if I do get it published, God Willing, I'm going to dedicate it to all of you because you guys absolutely rock. The title of my novel (still in the works), by the way, is "**Unleashed**." I hope to make it a series. We'll see! _

_Love you all! _

_This author's note was way too long. Sorry.

* * *

  
_

Elena then shut her mouth. _Ooops… _

Kier's eyebrows rose, and he gave her a dark warning look. Vader glanced at Elena questioningly.

"You are acquainted?" the Emperor said silkily with a hint of deviousness in an undertone. "How… fortunate." He glared at Kier.

Elena's eyes darted from Kier's to the Emperor's, and her glare deepened as she studied the pair. "We've met on one occasion," she admitted coolly. Her eyes flickered back to Kier, and she sent him mentally, _I know what you are. _Kier's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but she continued, _What are you doing with the Emperor? Or are you just some kind of sick mutant experiment? _

"We… ran into each other earlier this week," Kier said, folding his arms over his chest.

Elena frowned. What was he playing at?

"At the small coffee shop down in the Fifth Sector," Kier continued. "Isn't that right?"

Elena's eyes narrowed. _Is he trying to cover his tracks? Or is he hiding the fact that he's not human? _

"Yes, that's right," she said quietly, playing along. Her eyes dug into his.

"Would you care to dance, Your Highness?" Kier asked.

"Certainly," she replied coldly, and took his hand. He pulled her away from the group and into the center of the grand ballroom where other couples were dancing a slow waltz.

She put her hand on his shoulder, and he slipped an arm around her waist. Both were still glaring at each other. They began to dance along with the other couples, silent, until she said in a low voice, "He doesn't know."

Kier let out a small sigh. "No."

"How can you do this?" she whispered angrily.

"Do what?" he challenged.

"Support, follow a man who would experiment on you if he knew the truth – if he isn't doing it already with other mutants."

He paused. "Is that what we call ourselves?"

"Don't change the subject," she snapped harshly.

"You forget, Skywalker," he growled, "that _your _father follows him as well."

Elena's lips pressed tightly together. "My father knows what I am."

Here Kier faltered. "He does?"

"Yes."

"Does the Emperor…"

"No, he doesn't know. Nor will he ever, if we can do anything about it."

Kier's glare softened slightly. "Are there others… like us?"

"Yes." Elena's gaze darted over to her sister, who was talking with her parents.

Kier studied her closely. "What can you do?"

"What can _you _do?"

"I thought you already saw."

"It wasn't clear," Elena said.

"Animals," he said quietly. "I can shapeshift into any animal."

"People, too?"

"No, just animals. What about you?"

She paused. "It's… complicated to explain." She scowled. "But how can you work for a man who would experiment on you the moment he knew what you were?"

"Are you saying you're not loyal to him?" he goaded.

Elena stiffened. "I'm loyal to my father." _And you're still avoiding the question._

"But not the Emperor?" He raised an eyebrow.

Elena sighed. "My father is loyal to the Emperor. I'm loyal to my father. That's enough."

Kier didn't push it. He opened his mouth to say something else, but a silky voice cut him off.

"May I cut in?"

Elena froze. _No, no… Force, no. _

Kier looked at the newcomer who was standing behind Elena, and then to her. Her face was panicked.

_No, Kier, please, don't! _she begged mentally.

Kier frowned slightly. "I'm sorry," he said with a quick smile. "But I've already reserved the next two dances with Lady Skywalker."

Elena felt chilling eyes on the back of her head.

"Oh, come now," said the smooth voice as it moved beside the couple. Elena didn't look at him. "Surely you can spare the lady one dance."

Kier flashed him another smile. "Surely you can wait until the lady is free to dance with you, Your Highness," he said, a joking tint to his voice. Elena was amazed at how quickly he could change his personality and behavior.

_Probably because he can change shape so quickly._

"Indeed," said the prince. His eyes flickered to Elena, but she didn't look at him. "Until then, Your Highness." He bowed slightly and moved fluidly away. Elena let out a breath and glared at his back.

Kier continued the dance and murmured, "Want to tell me what that was about?"

"Not really, no."

"You know, you owe me for that."

She turned her glare to him. "I don't owe you for anything."

"Yes, you do. But don't worry, I'll collect my debt on a later date."

Elena's eyes narrowed, and she returned, "You know, I could just control your mind and erase your memories. Then you'd have no memory of this conversation." She threw him a smile.

Kier halted and stared at her in shock. "You can... you can do that? That's your power?"

"I'm sure all-Force users can do it, but I can do it better. I'm not going to tell you anymore, though. You're working directly under Palpatine," she said darkly. "I can't trust you."

"Likewise," replied he, but Elena thought she could sense hesitancy in his answer. Maybe this wasn't hopeless after all. But the next moment, his demeanor returned to its darker state, and he said in a colder voice, "So, enjoying the evening?"

"Not really." _Especially not with you and Xizor around. I hope Guri's not here. _Elena glanced around for the HRD, but there were so many people in the grand ballroom, she couldn't spot the familiar blonde head. "You?"

"Not really," he parroted. "I find the company is... lacking."

"You don't say," Elena shot back._ I really wish Jix would be here. I need him right now. _Pulling away from him, Elena said, "Thanks for the dance. But I'm a little tired." She flashed him a false smile and walked off towards Leia, who had moved away from her parents and was now talking with some diplomats from the outer rim. Coming up behind Leia, she tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, Leia."

Leia turned around and broke into a wide smile. "Elena!" She engulfed her sister in a hug, then pulled back to study her. "How are you?"

Elena shrugged. "Good, more or less. But I need to talk to you, if that's okay."

Leia noted her sister's serious tone and nodded. "Excuse me," she said to her company, and brought Elena into a more secluded corner where no one would hear them. "All right, Elena," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "Talk to me. What's going on? Has the Emperor chosen... your husband?" Her voice lowered to a whisper.

Elena shook her head, frowning. "No, not yet. But I don't have much time. But I have to warn you, Prince Xizor's here. The guy who kidnapped me. And I'm afraid of losing control and just going after him. I... I'm not sure I can control my anger." She looked down, ashamed.

Leia put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's going to be all right. Just calm down. I'll stay with you for the rest of the night, if you want."

"I'd like that. Mara's off playing the dancer - Emperor's orders." Elena made a face. "I can't believe the things she does for that... sadistic, evil... ba... creep."

"She is still one of his Hands, no matter what secrets she keeps for you," Leia said grimly. "We can only hope that some day, soon, we'll be able to defeat Palpatine."

"That day can't come soon enough," muttered Elena. "Come on, let's get something to drink. I'm thirsty." She moved out into the open with Leia, going across the center of the ballroom to get to the drinks, when she heard a scream. Halting, she glanced to her left and was horrified to see a young girl, maybe around the same age as her, dressed in scanty clothing, racing towards her. The girl stumbled, fell, and picked herself up, continuing towards her, pushing past people frantically. Her jet-black hair, once put up into an elaborate hairdo, now hung uncontrolled in her face and down her neck; and her deep blue, almond-shaped eyes were wide with fear.

"By the Force!" Leia said, alarmed.

Elena saw a group of stormtroopers and palace guards chasing the girl, and they were gaining on her. The girl, much to Elena's surprise, rushed up to her and flung herself at her feet, gasping something in a strange language. "Whoa, hey, calm down!" Elena said, crouching down in front of the girl. She took her arms and motioned for the girl to stand. "Hey, it's going to be okay. C'mon, you can stand."

The girl, wide-eyed, slowly rose to her feet, trembling. She looked back at the approaching officers and turned back to Elena and started speedily chattering in a foreign language. She pointed back at the officers, clearly frightened.

By now, the majority of the crowd had parted to make a circle around the two unknown sisters and their new companion and were watching the scene with interest. Including the Emperor and Xizor. Vader and Kier drew forward, and Vader came up to Elena and demanded: "What's going on?"

The girl squeaked and pleaded in her own language, looking back at Elena. Elena said, translating, "She's been a slave for the past five years and is trying to escape. She's asking me for help."

"Oh, poor girl!" Leia exclaimed.

"She wants me to help her get offplanet," Elena continued as the girl prattled on. "She doesn't have anywhere else to go." When the officers came up to them, Elena snapped, "You will not touch this girl. Am I clear?"

The officers hesitated. "But Your Highness, we're under direct orders from-"

"Do I look like I care?" snarled Elena, glaring at him. "This girl is coming with me. I don't care what her former _master _says or not. No one is touching this girl again, do you understand me?"

"I believe her master would have some serious objections to that," said a new, smooth voice. Elena froze, and Leia put a hand on her arm. Prince Xizor, accompanied by Guri, drew forward into the cleared circle. He looked postively pleased with the situation. The slave, on the other hand, started to beg Elena for help. "Now," Xizor said, drawing closer to Elena. "I believe the girl is coming with me."

Elena's eyes narrowed, and her hands curled. "I don't think so."

"She is my property," Xizor reminded her.

"My jurisdiction," Elena shot back. "You're not on Falleen. So she stays in my care, under my protection. Just try and stop me." She straightened, trying desperately to control her raging anger.

Xizor, in the meantime, was studying Elena carefully. "Do I... know you?" he asked.

"No," Elena hissed. She turned to the girl and spoke something to her in her own language. The girl nodded, but her nervous eyes darted to Xizor.

"No, I believe I do," Xizor argued. His face grew surprised. "I do know you. You're the slave girl that escaped from my palace some years ago. The rebellious one."

The crowd gasped and started to murmur incredulously. Leia's eyes narrowed, and Vader took a menacing step forward. "Leave my daughter alone," he commanded in an ominous tone. "Or you will suffer the consequences."

Xizor merely smiled. "I thought you looked familiar, _Your Highness. _How ironic. We meet again... and you defy me while trying to help another slave girl."

_That's it. _Before Leia could stop her, Elena gave a cry of rage and, holding up a hand, hurled Xizor into the wall facing her with the Force. He hit the wall and fell into the large pond below, and emerged dripping wet and furious. Guri started towards Elena, but the youngest Skywalker flew forward and whirled up behind her and twisted the HRD's arms behind her with a startling strength. Elena gave a yank, and Guri went down as her metal limbs cracked under the pressure.

"Elena!" Leia and Vader both gasped in shock.

But Elena didn't listen to either of them. She lunged into the air and landed some yards away in front of the pool. Leaning over Xizor, she growled in a low voice, "Talk to me like that again... or attain more slaves - and believe me, if you do, I will find out - and I _will _make you pay." Turning around sharply, she strode back to the astounded crowd and looked at her father and Leia. Mara had joined in the crowd, and her emerald eyes were wide with astonishment. Elena shot her a grim look as well. "I'm leaving," she muttered, and motioned for the girl to follow her.

Vader didn't bother to say goodbye to the Emperor: he strode after his daughter, both proud of her and disapproving of her rash actions.

Mara slipped after them, hoping the Emperor wouldn't notice her disappearance.

* * *

"That did not go well," Vader rumbled on the ride home. Elena rode shotgun in the dark speeder; and the girl, who Elena had discovered was named Kelsati Kutwol, sat silent and nervous in the back, fingering her see-through aqua skirt.

Elena didn't respond but stared glumly out the window.

"Can the girl understand me?" Vader asked.

"No." Elena's short reply caused her father to look at her.

"You could have revealed your powers," Vader continued in a darker, sterner tone.

"I didn't," Elena grumbled. "The crowd probably thought that it came from being your daughter. Force stuff. Sith stuff."

"But it wasn't," Vader said. "I know that you used some mutant power to aid throwing Xizor into the wall."

"Phoenix power," Elena replied tonelessly. "But no one noticed. Except for maybe Kier."

"What do you mean?" Vader demanded, alarmed.

"He knows, Dad. He's the mutant I ran into on Alderaan - the one that can turn into animals. He knows that I'm a mutant." Elena heaved a sigh and rubbed her forehead.

Vader said grimly, "This is bad."

"It gets worse," Elena groaned. "He's a new apprentice for Palpatine."

Vader fell silent.

"He's going to replace you, Dad. With someone he thinks is more powerful and younger and stronger."

"Does he... does the Emperor know about Kier's ability?"

"No. At least, Kier said that he doesn't. But I can't trust him." Elena cast a glance at her father. "What are we going to do?"

Vader didn't reply for a long time. Finally, he said heavily, "There's nothing I can do right now. The Emperor has taken on second apprentices before - as have I. Like you, for instance."

"But I'm not training in the Dark Side," Elena reminded him. "So technically, I'm just a Force-user. Not an apprentice." She hoped that Vader wouldn't suggest that they start training in the Dark Side. She held her breath, waiting for his response.

But Vader didn't respond to that question; instead, he abruptly said, "How do we know that the girl isn't a spy for Xizor?"

"What?" Elena said blankly.

"The girl. She could very well be a set-up spy," Vader snapped.

Elena shook her head. "No, she's not. _Kelsati _is not."

"How can you be sure?"

Raising an eyebrow, Elena said, "Mutant, remember?" Suddenly frowning, Elena paused. _Wait a second... _"A mutant?!" Elena exclaimed in astonishment, and glanced back at Kelsati, who curled up tighter into a ball.

"What?" Vader asked.

"A mutant!" Elena said. "Kelsati... she's a mutant!"

* * *

_Ooh, and the story continues! But not for much longer. Only a few more chapters, maybe more - at least, if they're this length. But I'm going to write a sequel to this, don't worry. All loose ends will be wrapped up eventually._

_And in the next chapter... our favorite hunky Corellian special agent returns! And Elena's got a big surprise for him in store... :D _

_Reviews are more than appreciated. _

**- Serena  
**


	22. Nightfall

**Dark Angel**

By **Serena**

**A/N: **_Guys, I want to thank you SOSOSOSOSOSOSO much for all of your wonderful support! (HUGS!) You don't know how much I appreciate it. I have some good news - I just need to do the final touch-up of my novel - I've already written the query letter and the synopsis - and then it's off to the agents - God Willing! I know I've been horrible with updates - one problem is I have so many stories that need finishing, and it's hard to find time to update them all faithfully. That's why I'm trying to finish up the bigger whoppers - like this one - first. :) It's wrapping up - not even ten chapters to go, I think. Maybe five longer ones. We'll see. _

_Thank you all! This chapter is dedicated to all of you. :)_

_**To Chaika2000, Elizabeth9325**: THANK YOU! _

_**To Eleya Jade**: No, not quite finished! And greetings from the US! :)  
_

_**To Pip**: I would LOVE to have my fanfic published, and I actually looked it up online to see if I could - but a SW author told people online that you have to get ASKED by Lucas and his people to write a book - which means you already have to be published, unfortunately. So I'm hoping that if my first original novel gets published, I'll be able to get asked to write SW stuff. I actually already have a novel plotted out that features our favorite hunk. :D  
_

**_

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"These mutants do seem to keep showing up quite often, don't they?" Vader said wryly as he watched Elena treat some of Kelsati's wounds.

"I know," Elena replied grimly, touching up a wound on the younger girl's pale arm. "It isn't safe. I'm practically a glowing sign that's warning all mutants to come here every time I molt."

"Molt?" Vader echoed, raising an eyebrow behind his mask.

Elena shot him a grin. "Couldn't think of another way to put it. And it's like I'm shedding an old skin, so to speak. There." She stood back and observed a newly clothed Kelsati. In the girl's language, she said, "Do you have anyone we can contact? Any family?"

Kelsati shook her head. "I'm an orphan," she said softly. "That's one of the reasons I was captured in the first place."

Elena frowned. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go? I can set you up with some money and a ship to anywhere you'd like to go."

Kelsati shot a wary look to Vader and then looked back to Elena. "I… don't want to be a problem."

"You're not. Trust me," Elena reassured her with a smile. "Just let me know what you want to do."

Licking her lips nervously, the girl replied, "Well… you're the only one I know who's… like me."

Elena paled. "Uh, no, not exactly." She glanced at her father. "Uh, Dad, would you mind? I think Kelsati's pretty scared – no offense."

Vader studied her closely. "None taken. You know where to find me." Turning, he left the room.

Once he'd gone, Elena turned back to Kelsati and said in a lower voice, "I know a group of people like you. People on Alderaan. You'll be safe there."

"Are you sure?" Kelsati asked worriedly. "I mean… I don't know if they'll trust me."

"They will. Here." Elena took a datapad out of her belt and handed it to her. "Here's the location of the group. Don't worry – just say you're with me, and you'll be fine. Besides, I think you can take care of yourself." She shot her a smile.

Kelsati smiled back weakly. "Well… all right." Taking the datapad, she studied it closely. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Elena, please," replied the other girl. "It's just an honorary title, I guess." She smiled a little sadly. "You should probably leave soon. I sense that your powers aren't completely stable, are they?"

Kelsati shook her head, blushing. "No. I'm still getting used to them."

"That's all right. The others can help you. But I don't want you to compromise your safety here. C'mon – I'll get you some clothes and a ship. You can leave when you're ready." Elena ushered the young mutant out of the room and started down the hall. "But I'm sure you're tired. You can sleep here tonight and leave first thing tomorrow."

"Thank you, Your – Elena," Kelsati stammered. "You don't know how much I am in your debt."

"No," Elena cut in sharply. "No debt. We're mutants, Kel," she said, staring at the other girl seriously. "You're one of us. We have to stick together."

Kelsati nodded and entered the spare room Elena showed her. After Elena had made sure she was settled in comfortably for the night, she made her way, exhausted by the night's events, to her room. But on the way there, she suddenly sensed something wrong - very wrong. The feeling wouldn't go away, even after a moment, and Elena grew concerned.

Unable to pinpoint the feeling itself but able to find the indirect source, Elena frowned and teleported out of the castle.

_It's coming from the Imperial palace_, she realized with horror as she flew invisibly through the Coruscanti traffic. _Figures. Oh Force, please let this not be about another mutant - I can't take that - not right now. _

_Elena? _

Elena set her jaw and went supersonic towards the palace looming like a dark shadow in front of her. _Dad. _

_What are you doing? _he demanded angrily. _I know where you're going. Don't be foolish and risk your life for another mutant. You already made a bad mistake earlier tonight. Don't risk your safety. _

_Sorry, Dad, but I have to. I can't let the Emperor hurt us, _she replied gravely, phasing through one of the towers, still invisible, into a dark information center. _And in any case, I don't even know if it's a mutant. I just know something's wrong. _

_Just don't be foolish, _Vader replied harshly.

_I won't. I'll be back soon. _Elena dropped through several more floors, trying to pinpoint the exact source of the problem. Descending deeper into the palace, she finally ended up in the darkest, deepest prison cells. This floor, she was sure. Alighting on the ground, she started down the dark, smelly corridor past rows and rows of unfortunate prisoners until she halted in front of a cell. This was it. Peering inside, she gasped.

"Chewie?"

The Wookiee, at the sound of her incredulous whisper, made a whimper and cautiously made his way up to the bars.

"Oh, Force, Chewie!" Elena phased into the cell and made herself visible. "Chewie, it's me!"

Chewie let out a moaning bark and grabbed her, picking her up in a gigantic hug.

"It's great to see you, too, buddy," she gasped. "But what the heck are you doing in this place?"

Chewie told her that he'd gotten separated from Han on a smuggling run and captured. Elena scowled darkly at the news, wondering how many more innocent civilians would be captured by the Emperor's cruel hand. This needed to end.

"Don't worry, I'm getting you outta here, buddy," she replied with a smile. "Just follow me and keep quiet, all right?"

Chewie nodded, and taking his hand, Elena teleported him out of the palace and into a side alley. "All right, now, where's Han?" Elena asked him with a relieved sigh.

"Yes, do tell, Furball," said a darkly amused voice from behind her.

Whirling around, Elena faced a familiar face and glared darkly.

"Kier."

Chewie let out a warning growl, but Kier just growled back, startling the Wookiee. Elena stepped forward and demanded, "What are _you _doing here?"

Not looking threatened at all by either one of them, Kier replied in a nonchalant voice, "I smelled you the moment you entered the palace, Skywalker. Enhanced animal smell might have something to do with that." He looked at Chewie. "Rescuing the Furball from the Emperor's prisons, I see. And risking your abilities to do so." He nodded. "Impressive. And reckless."

"How can you just stand by and let this happen?" Elena snapped. "Especially considering what you are?"

"I may be reckless, but not as much as you, Skywalker," he replied. "I never shapeshift anywhere near the Emperor. But you... you're obviously a different story."

Elena's glare deepened. "I'm having the sudden urge to wipe your memories of this event," she started in a low voice.

"Going to manipulate your powers, are you? I see being around a Sith rubs off on you eventually."

"You're one to talk," she shot back darkly.

His jaw tightened. "He's giving me what I want. Power."

"At what cost? The cost of billions of innocent lives? The cost of always having to hide who you are? What you are?" she queried hostilely.

"Perhaps."

Chewie roared again, this time louder, but a new voice from behind Kier startled the whole group.

"Well, perhaps I'm not as nice as Skywalker here... and I'll just take your head off," drawled Mara Jade with a vicious-looking blaster in her hands. It was pointed right at Kier.

Kier's eyes widened; and for the first time that night, he looked truly afraid.

"Or perhaps I'll just go the Emperor with your little secret instead," Mara continued with a tilt of her head.

"I'll kill you first," Kier growled. "You're no match for me, human."

"Don't underestimate an Emperor's Hand, Hairy," Mara warned, fingering her blaster carefully. "This guy bothering you, Elena?"

Kier's eyes widened, and he whirled around to face a smirking Elena.

"I got it covered," Elena said. "But thanks for the backup, MJ."

Kier looked from Elena to Mara, until finally he said, shaken, "You know."

"Of course I know, idiot," snapped Mara. "But the question is: are you going to tell the Emperor?"

"No," Elena answered for him, gazing coolly at him. "He won't."

Defeated and angry, Kier glared at both of them. "You just watch your back, Skywalker." With surprising speed, he flew by Mara and disappeared around the corner.

"Kriff," Mara breathed, staring after him. "Elena, what's with him?"

Elena sighed. "Long story." She looked up at a confused Chewie. "Chewie, this is Mara. She's a friend, don't worry. Speaking of which..." She looked at her friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Your Dad called. Told me you'd be around here."

"Lovely," Elena said dryly. "A babysitter."

"You're welcome." Mara raised an eyebrow at Chewie. "What's with the Furball?"

"He's an old friend," Elena explained. "I have to get him back to his partner. Chewie, you know the last place Han was?"

Chewie barked out an answer, and Elena nodded.

"What'd he say?" Mara asked.

"Han's in the Blue Sector," Elena responded. "I gotta get him there."

"I'll come with you," Mara offered, stepping forward. But Elena frowned.

"Are you sure? It might be dangerous if you're seen with me."

Mara rested the gun on her shoulder. "I'll be fine. Let's go before someone sees us."

Elena nodded, took Mara's and Chewie's hand and paw and teleported away.

* * *

"You mean there ain't nothin' I can do?" Han Solo asked raggedly as he questioned the bar owner. "There ain't any way I can get him back?"

The barkeep sighed and rubbed off another glass. "Sorry, pal. It's the Empire. Things like that happen every day. Get used to it."

Han scowled and pushed himself away from the bar. "Never," he snarled, stalking out of the dingy bar. Kicking a can to the side, he jammed his hands in his pockets and tried to think of any way to get his best friend back. He owed Chewie big time - he couldn't leave him to rot in an Imperial prison. The last job had gone really bad - but he just couldn't give up on the only real friend he'd ever had.

A familiar growling bark caused him to look up. "Chewie?"

His eyes widened as he saw Chewie barreling towards him. "Chewie!" he exclaimed as the Wookiee pulled him into a tight hug. "Pal, how'd you... where'd you..." He couldn't remember a time when he'd been so relieved.

Chewie barked out an answer, causing Han to frown in puzzlement. "Skywalker? That kid?"

"Hey, Han."

Han looked past Chewie to see Elena Skywalker and an unfamiliar redhead coming towards him. Flabbergasted, he said, "Princess? What're you doing here?"

"Helping out an old friend," Elena said with a smile. "I sensed that Chewie was in trouble, and what could I do - leave him there? So I used my hokus-pokus abilities to get him out and brought him back."

Han swallowed. "Thanks. I owe you one, Princess."

"No, you don't," she replied firmly. "He's my friend, too. And you guys helped me out before. Call us even." She held out a hand, which he shook.

Glancing to the woman beside her, Han said, "Who's Red, here?"

"This is Mara," Elena introduced. "She's just along for the ride."

"You're a pirate," Mara said.

Han flashed her a grin. "Yeah. Somethin' like that."

Mara rolled her eyes at his tone. "You have the strangest friends, Elena," she muttered, folding her arms over her chest. "How do you meet these people?"

"Don't ask." Elena smiled up at Chewie. "I gotta go, guys. Just one suggestion - get out of Coruscant. Go somewhere far away from Imperial jurisdiction."

Han scowled. "Don't worry, we will."

"In fact..." Elena ran a hand through her hair thoughtfully. "You might try Alderaan. Nice planet. You might be able to get some jobs there - legal ones, too," she added with a grin. "If you need anything, contact Princess Leia Organa there. Just let her know that you know me and she'll probably be able to help you."

"Another Princess, huh?" Han smirked. "She as pretty as you?"

Mara scoffed, but Elena laughed. "Yeah. She is. But she's got more of a temper than I do, so watch out."

"Hey," Han said, flashing her a grin. "It's me!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Elena replied dryly. "But I have to go now. Bye Chewie," she said, squeezing the Wookiee's furry arm fondly. Chewie hugged her again and set her down after a minute. "Take care of yourself, huh?" She glanced at Han, who raised his eyebrows.

"You're not gonna hug me too, are you?"

Elena shrugged and grinned. "Why not?" And startling the smuggler, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "I hope we'll see each other again sometime. Take care, Han," she said warmly before pulling away.

Han shot her a lopsided grin and gave her a loose salute. "You, too, Princess."

* * *

Mara and Elena parted ways halfway between the palace and Vader's castle. After making her way home, Elena dragged herself to her room, exhausted by the day's events. She phased through her bedroom door and, not even bothering to turn on the lights, entered her room with a sigh and pulled off her boots, rubbing her forehead.

_Did I really beat up Xizor like that? _she thought wearily. _Force. That was stupid. Very stupid. I'm getting careless. _

Looking down, she stared at her hands. _Mutant's hands. Sometimes I wish I weren't one. _

A deep throat cleared from her left. Her head bolted up, and she stared in the dark at a figure sitting in the chair beside the window. The lights from the city glowed into the room, revealing in the chair a familiar male figure.

"Jix," Elena breathed in shock.

"Skywalker." He looked perfectly relaxed, with one knee crossed over the other, and his eyes glinted with amusement at having caught her off-guard at last.

"What are you… never mind," Elena sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed, facing him.

He chose not to answer her partial question and shot her a small smirk. "Nice to see you, too."

Elena frowned, starting to say a rather nasty retort, but instead caught herself and looked down. "Jix," she started. "I need to tell you something."

A dark eyebrow rose. "Shoot."

"I… I'm getting married," she blurted out, glancing up at him nervously to gauge his reaction.

It wasn't what she expected. His face grew taut and cold, and before she could say anything else, he bolted from his chair and faced the window with his back to her.

"Married?" he said finally in a strangled voice.

"Yeah."

"To who?" he asked, his voice low.

"I don't know," she admitted.

He turned to face her, a puzzled look on his face, and started to pace in front of her slowly. "What are you talkin' about, Elena?" he demanded, scrutinizing her with a critical, resentful eye.

"I don't know," she repeated. "The Emperor decided that he wants to get rid of me, I guess, so I have to get married or else he'll choose for me. And Dad can't really do anything about it, so…"

He paced more furiously with every word.

"There's nothing I can do about it, Jix."

"Why not?" he said bitterly.

Elena, frustrated almost to the point of tears, bit back, "What _can _I do? Hm? What would you have me do?"

He didn't answer.

"I don't know what other choice I have," she went on. "Who could I marry that I know, anyway? _You?_"

He slowed to a stop but still wouldn't look at her. However, his expression grew grimmer and torn, and he rubbed a hand over his mouth and jaw.

Elena sucked in a breath.

_That's it. _

"I didn't think so," she murmured. Rising to her feet, she said in an unsteady voice, "You can leave now." She turned away, starting for the 'fresher. "I need to get some slee -"

A large, warm hand shot out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back in the opposite direction. The only thing Elena saw was the fierce, darkening glint in those deep blue eyes; and before she had time to speak, the Corellian's mouth crashed violently onto hers.

* * *

_Longer chapter, I think. Hope you enjoyed! :) With a cliffee like this, I can't wait to update for too long. Much more Jix hunkiness in the next chapter!!! _

_The Han/Chewie thing was a last minute add-in, but I'd actually had that idea for a long, long time but didn't know where to fit it in. I didn't mean for it to be a long, drawn out thing, but for the future events, it's really necessary to have that last conversation between Elena and Han. You'll see why later. ;)_

_Let me know what you think! :)_

_- **Serena**  
_


	23. Life

**Dark Angel**

By **Serena**

**A/N: **_Thanks so much for the continual support, everyone! And welcome to new readers! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Actually, we're winding down to a close of this story, but if you'd like me to continue, please **LET ME KNOW**. I want to continue, but if I don't get enough feedback, then I'm not inclined to update very often because people aren't reading the story.  
_

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Elena froze instinctively as Jix's lips touched her own. But after a moment, her mouth melded with his, and her eyelids slid shut as the kiss depened. Her arms slid up around his neck as one hand moved to wind in her hair and the other moved to the small of her back.

_Force…_ Elena thought dizzily.

And when Jix deepened the kiss further, she thought nothing at all.

Eventually, he had to pull back for lack of air, but he touched his forehead to hers, breathing heavily. "You're not marrying anyone, Elena," he breathed. "Not if I have somethin' to say about it."

"Clearly," she gasped, "you do."

A slow grin crept across his face, causing Elena to redden.

"Listen, Elena," Jix muttered, "Uncle Dee ain't against… us. Told me so himself."

Elena's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. So… I guess now'd be as good a time as any to say that I don't wanna see you with another guy."

Elena grinned. "What are you saying, Wrenga Jixton?"

He shot her a look. "Stang, Skywalker, you're makin' this extra hard for me, aren't ya?"

"I do try."

Jix let out a deep breath of air and took her hands in his. "Elena… I want to see you."

"You do see me."

"On a regular basis."

"Jix, you practically live here. We see each other almost every day."

"Kriff, Skyler," Jix swore in a growl, "Give me a break, here. I don't do this mushy stuff every day, ya know. I haven't done this in… well, years. Since before I met you. And even then, not goin' steady with anyone."

Elena smiled. "Sorry. Please continue."

"Thanks. What I'm trying to say is… would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Depends on where we're going." After Jix glared at her, she burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, Jix! You're just too easy to tease."

Jix's eyes darkened. "I'll show you a tease," he growled, and pulled her close again for another zealous kiss that left her breathless. When he pulled back, much to her displeasure, he grinned roguishly. "Is that a yes?"

Elena beamed.

_Force, yes._

"Yes."

* * *

"Stang," Sarael breathed as she held a hand to shade her eyes. "And I thought where I lived before was bad. This has to be the planet that's farthest from… anything." When she waited for a comment from her companion, she got none. Glancing over at Zak, she saw him standing with a pensive frown on his face as his gaze swept over the barren landscape. "Zak? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "I think… I think I've been here before."

"You're remembering!"

"Not really. I just… there's something about this planet that's familiar." He bent over and picked up a handful of sand, letting it slip through his black and red fingers. "I remember feelings, really. Emotions…"

"What kind of emotions?" she wondered curiously.

He sighed and stared at the ground. His face drew into a pained scowl. "Not good ones."

Sarael reached up and put a white hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it'll be all right. Maybe you're still jittery from waking up after all these years. Kreth, if I'd woken up with no memory of who I was, I'd be pretty shaken up, too."

Zak threw her a small smile. "Yeah, maybe that's it." He didn't move.

Sarael squeezed his arm. "C'mon. We have a little money. Let's try to find something to eat."

Zak nodded and pulled his dark cloak over his eyes as they started for the Anchorhead. "Yes. But we should try to stick to the outskirts of the town. I look rather… conspicuous." He glanced down at his huge cybernetic legs and clawed feet. "I don't want to cause any trouble."

"Would you want me to go by myself?"

He scowled. "Absolutely not. In a place like this, you're not going to find good, honorable people here."

Sarael smiled and started towards Anchorhead. "All right." Taking his larger hand in her slim, delicate one, she urged him forward towards the small town. As they neared Anchorhead, Sarael said, "Look, there's a station. We should be able to get some supplies there. And it's out of the way."

Zak nodded. "Good. The sooner we leave this place the better." His jaw tightened.

The strange couple hurried up the steps into the sleepy station, where they found a couple relaxing lazily behind the front desk. In the back, they saw a few youths laughing and playing a hologame. Zak retreated to a shadowed part of the station while Sarael went up to the counter.

"Excuse me," she said, "I was wondering if I could get some ration packs here."

The man behind the desk opened his eyes and looked up at her. "We don't do that kinda stuff here. This is strictly a repair and power station. If you want food, you'll have to go into town."

Sarael shot a worried glance to Zak. "Are you sure?"

The man looked annoyed. "Yeah."

Sarael sighed. "Very well."

One of the young men in the adjoining room entered the main shop and stared curiously at Sarael. "Hello," he greeted cheerfully. Lanky and tall, he had short, dark hair and a mustache. "You from off-planet?"

Sarael nodded. "Yes. We're trying to get some supplies."

"Where you headed?"

"Um…" Sarael glanced at Zak. "Somewhere with more green than this," she said with a rueful smile.

The young man looked over to Zak. "You with him?"

"Yes," Sarael replied.

"Hello," the young man said amiably.

Zak merely nodded in return.

Smiling at Sarael, the young man held out a hand. "Biggs Darklighter. If you need anything, let me know."

"I'm Sarael," she replied, shaking his hand tentatively. "Perhaps you know where we can get some ration packs?"

"Sure. There are a few places in town."

"Well," Sarael said, "we really don't want to go into town. We'd rather not be around many people."

Biggs laughed. "Honey, in this place, there are hardly any people around. Mostly jawas. You in some kinda trouble?"

"No," Sarael denied. "We'd just rather not be around lots of people."

Biggs glanced at Zak carefully and nodded. "All right… well, I don't really know how you're going to do that. If you'd like me to go with you into town…"

"Hey, guys, you'll never guess what I - " a sandy-haired, handsome young man hurried into the station, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. But he stopped short when he saw Sarael. The smile on his face faded, and his boyish expression grew more solemn and grown-up.

Sarael stared at him. There was something… different about him.

Then, the young man's gaze flickered to Zak. His eyes widened fractionally. Zak studied him closely but said nothing.

"What is it this time, Wormie?" The young woman resting behind the desk with the station manager rose to her feet, stretching languorously.

The young man's eyes darkened for a split second before that boyish grin returned to his face. "I just wanted to see if the rumor was true – if Biggs was back. And I guess I was right."

Biggs grinned and slapped his younger friend on the back. "Luke, how've you been? Stang, you're as tall as me, now. And have you been working out?"

Luke smiled. "Maybe."

"Hah," the young woman scoffed. "Wormie? Working out?"

Sarael didn't know why, but she had the sudden urge to blast the woman with hot energy. Luke, however, merely grinned.

"Stranger things have happened, Camie," he said, moving forward into the station. Turning to Sarael, he held out a hand. "Hello, I don't think we've met. I'm Luke Skywalker."

Sarael took the warm hand and shook it. "Sarael Sol," she replied with a smile. For some reason, she knew she could trust this young man. "It's nice to meet you."

"You, too," Luke said warmly. Moving over to Zak, he held out a hand and smiled up at him. "And you are?"

After a tense moment, Zak reached down and shook his hand. "Zak."

"Pleasure," Luke replied with a nod. "Is there something you're here for?"

"Food," Zak said. "But we'd rather not go into town."

Luke studied him thoughtfully. "Well, my uncle and aunt have a moisture farm that's pretty far from anywhere. If you want, I can get you some supplies."

Sarael's eyes widened. "You'd do that? We don't want to cause any trouble. And we have money."

"Absolutely," Luke said with a smile. "Come on. I have a landspeeder just outside."

Camie snorted. "You really are naïve, Wormie," she muttered.

Sarael whirled around, eyes blazing. Camie stepped back, alarmed. "He's been nicer to us that you have," the Arkanian hissed before following Luke and Zak out of the station.

Biggs, Fixer, and Camie stood still, stunned. "That was… interesting," Biggs managed to get out.

* * *

"You probably want to go to a planet with few people," Luke said in a deeper voice as the trio walked towards the landspeeder. His boyish aura had been wiped away, replaced with the firm, strong components of a man. "You really don't want to be around Imperials, I can tell you that much."

Sarael and Zak exchanged shocked glances.

"What do you mean?" Sarael demanded.

Luke turned to face them, halting. "You're mutants. Don't worry, I know. I am, too. But you definitely want to stay away from the Empire." He started to walk again. "We don't want them knowing about us. The consequences could be dire. Especially with your powers, Miss Sol."

"How do you know my powers?" Sarael demanded. "How do you know we're mutants?"

Luke paused with his hand on the landspeeder door. "One of my powers is being able to sense other mutants. I know that you are one." His eyes flickered to Zak. "But technically, he's not. He just has cybernetic systems." His blue eyes narrowed. "And you don't know who you are, do you?"

Zak could only stare at him. "No," he said finally. "I don't."

Luke sighed and entered the landspeeder. "Good."

"What are you talking about?" Zak snarled. "How is that good? Do you know something?"

Luke looked up at him. "Trust me. You don't _want _to remember."

* * *

The day after the night of Chewie's rescue, Elena found herself on the other side of Coruscant in a modest, high-rise apartment building, checking out an apartment for Keira. After talking to the landlord, who showed her around, she then looked around for herself. Elena found the apartment nice – it was clean, well kept, and had an affordable price. She knew Keira would like it. She glanced out the window to see the view, when –

A wave of pain hit her violently, tossing her against the wall. Elena gasped – was this another episode? How could it be? Her previous one had been but a month before!

The next wave sent her to her knees, and she clutched her head – her head! Her mind! What was going on! The pain in her brain increased, and she started screaming. Her thoughts were jumbled – her body was limp – she couldn't think! Clutching her head, Elena cried out again… and felt something happening… she saw a white – bluish light coming from somewhere… to her horror, she realized it was coming from her!

The light swirled around her, pulled at her mind – she cried out again – and as she struggled to keep her eyes open, she caught a glimpse of the light forming something in front of her. She gasped, panted, and shut her eyes tightly as another jolt of pain hit her. Everything was going dark now… the pain was too much… She opened her eyes slightly one last time to see a figure being formed by the light – a definitive figure now – and then everything went black.

Elena slumped to the floor, ashen.

A shadow passed over her unconscious body, and a warm hand touched itself to her forehead. There was a sigh, and then the cloaked figure carried her out of the apartment.

* * *

Elena frowned. Rolled over on her back. Rubbed her closed eyes, and then slowly opened them. She blinked. She was in a different room – not her own – and was currently lying in a bed. It seemed to be another apartment building, but she wasn't sure. Sitting slowly up, she rubbed her neck, trying to remember what had happened last.

And then she glanced to her left and saw him.

The figure sitting in the chair, reading a datapad, looked up, did a double take, and pulled back his hood slowly. He rose to his feet. "Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Elena stared at him, mouth hanging open, and then she shrieked and fell off the bed. Crawling away from him, she stuttered, "D-don't come near me!"

The man frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not going to hurt you, Milady."

Elena only gazed wide-eyed at him. "Stop talking! You're not real!"

"It seems that I am," he said dryly.

"No! You're dead!"

"Not anymore. You, I'm afraid to say, brought me back to life."

Elena bolted to her feet and seethed, "No! You're not real! Obi-Wan Kenobi is _dead_!"

* * *

_Let me know what you think! :)_

_- **Serena**  
_


	24. ObiWan

**Dark Angel**

**A/N:** _Hey, guys!! I know, I know, long time no update. Like I said on my profile, I've been busy working on my novel. I already finished one, and now I'm working on getting that published - although I'm tempted to self-publish as an e-book. Thoughts? _

_Also, I've been not updating because I realize this is a blatant Mary-Sue, which I've been trying to get away from. But oh well. I'm going to finish this story. :) Promise. _

_And yes, I've renamed the story to just "Dark Angel" because I really don't like "I Am Me" anymore. But I'll change it back if you want. :)  
_

* * *

"You're dead," Elena repeated. "You're dead."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid not anymore, young one. The Force has called your abilities and brought me back to life."

Elena stared at him. "Please tell me you're joking and that this is some kriffing dream."

"Would you like me to pinch you?"

Elena frowned. No, she didn't think Obi-Wan Kenobi would say that in a dream. "Uh, no. Thanks."

Obi-Wan nodded and handed her a glass of water. "Here. You're looking a bit pale."

"Can you blame me?" She gulped down the water greedily and continued to stare at him. After a moment of silence, she said, "So you're really Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan smiled faintly. "Yes."

"THE Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Negotiator. My father's teacher."

"Yes to all the above."

"And somehow, by some freak Force happening, you've been brought back to life. By me."

"Yes. It's not a freak Force happening, but yes."

Elena sighed and rubbed her forehead. "This is unbelievable."

"I know. But Elena, the Force has brought me back for a purpose. One which I will not be able to fulfill if I do not leave here immediately," said the former Jedi General. "This incident has caused a deep stirring in the Force, one that I'm afraid the Emperor will not miss."

"Oh," she said faintly. "Lovely."

"I'm afraid so." He tugged off his cloak. "I don't want to be seen wearing these robes. Is there any way we could get me something else to wear?"

Elena nodded, still in a daze. "Yeah. I'll be right back. Just… wait here." She disappeared in a puff of blue smoke and reappeared a few minutes later with a dark jacket, pants, and thick boots. "Here."

"Thank you," he said courteously, taking them with a nod.

Elena looked at his face with a frown, and he asked her what was the matter. "Your hair," she said. "It needs to be cut. And you'll have to get rid of the beard."

Obi-Wan frowned and rubbed his beard. "Yes," he sighed. "I suppose I must."

* * *

Luke groaned. Rolled over on his back. Tried to block out the light pouring into his eyes.

"Easy, young Skywalker," said a soothing, deep voice. "You need to rest. You've had a trying day."

Luke felt a large hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes. He blinked several times and stared at the man standing over him with a gentle smile on his face. "You're…" He sat up, but the man eased him back down.

"You need to rest," said the man.

"But you're…"

"Yes, I am," the man said with a smile.

Luke blinked again and shook his head. "But how…"

"It was all you, young Luke," said the man. "The Force has connected with your mutant abilities to bring out my return. But you've taken quite a beating."

"What happened?" Luke asked, still in shock.

"The Force had to draw on your own life force to bring back mine," said the man. "Which drained you, I'm afraid to say."

"So you're really…"

"Qui-Gon Jinn," said the formerly deceased Jedi Master. "Yes, young Luke."

Luke stared at him. "Could you give me a minute?"

* * *

_What… happened?_

Leia groaned. Rolled over on her back. And slowly, blearily tried to open her eyes.

_Ooh – no. _

Much too bright. She tried to move her hand, but it felt so sluggish. Finally, she managed to drag her hand up to her eyes and rub them tiredly.

"Ohhh," groaned Leia.

A warm, soft hand touched her forehead gently. "It's all right," said a quiet voice that brimmed with emotion. "You're going to be all right. Just lie still."

Leia froze. Pulled her hand away from her eyes. Blinked and stared up at the figure standing over her. Leia's mouth fell open in shock. She tried to speak but couldn't.

"Don't try to speak, honey," the woman standing over her soothed. "You need to get your strength back. It will take some time."

_Time… _

Leia finally managed to get out: "How?"

The woman smiled down at her. "You, honey. It was you."

Leia let out a choked sob.

* * *

Obi-Wan exited the fresher with a completely new face. His beard was gone, and his hair was short and highlighted with blonde streaks throughout his light red and hazel hair. He ran a hand over his familiar Padawan-style cut and smiled faintly. "It's been a while since I was like this."

"Alive?" Elena asked dryly.

He shot her a look and shook his head. "I was going to say without a beard and long hair." He stared at her with a sudden sadness. "You look just like him, you know."

Elena swallowed and looked away. "I know."

"But you have your mother's kind heart," he said with a smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. "She would be proud of you."

"I hope so," Elena said wistfully. "I wish I'd known her."

Obi-Wan squeezed her shoulder and went over to the chair where his black jacket was draped. He pulled it on and said, "I tried to keep you from your father, you know. I came to find you."

Elena nodded. "I know. But I think it's better that I stayed. Dad needs a positive influence in his life."

Obi-Wan frowned. "Once you start down the dark path, you stay that way, Elena. I know you hold to the hope that he will come back, but once you are of the dark side, you are lost."

Elena rose to her feet, brow furrowed. "I don't believe that. He's turning around, Master Kenobi. I can already see him distrusting the Emperor. It's taking a while, but I and Leia and Luke still think that he can return to the light side. I have to have hope. It's not like I have any other choice," she added in a darker voice.

Obi-Wan studied her with a saddened eye. Finally, he nodded. "If anyone can turn him, it should be his children," he said. After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat. "But I can't stay here, Elena. I'm afraid you've already jeopardized yourself with bringing me back."

"Great," Elena muttered under her breath, wondering just how much any other Force-sensitive or mutant had felt with bringing Obi-Wan back. She fought back a wave of dread as she wondered if the Emperor had felt that. "All right," she said, putting her hands on her hips with a sigh. "We need to get you out of here without raising alarm bells."

"We have few options," Obi-Wan said with a frown. "You can't take me back to the castle – Vader will certainly sense me."

Elena nodded. "Right. I'd say a transport off-world – go somewhere remote and safe for the time being."

"I'll come back when the time is right," Obi-Wan agreed. "But for now, I'll return to the exile Ben Kenobi."

"The question is, how do we get you out of here safely? I can't teleport," said Elena worriedly. "I don't have my strength back yet."

Obi-Wan nodded grimly. "Then we'll have to go the usual way."

Elena regarded him curiously. "What's that?"

"On foot."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "You. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jedi Knight. Wanted criminal. In the heart of Imperial Center. On foot."

"Yes," replied the Jedi Master. "But everyone believes I am dead, correct?"

Elena nodded slowly. "I suppose."

"And I hardly look like my former self last seen," Obi-Wan added sensibly. "Since you don't have your powers, you won't be able to shape-shift, so obviously getting a cruiser to a hangar bay is out of the question. And if I'm correct, this district doesn't have an off-planet transport, does it?"

"No," Elena sighed. "The nearest is the next district over. But that will take all afternoon to get to on foot."

"Then," said Obi-Wan, "I suggest we start now."

Elena looked at him. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

* * *

_Well, there's that chapter! Only a few more chapters to go. Three, four - five at the most, I think. Reviews are much appreciated! :)_

_- Serena  
_


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